Collide
by twi-ction
Summary: AH,AU: Rated M for sexual content, language, and adult themes. When a car crash forces interaction between Edward and Bella, they change each others live forever. Can their forbidden love overcome the most terrible of antagonists, though?
1. Chapter 1

Bella's POV.

Forks High School.

It was typical, as far as high schools go. My own personal hell awaited me behind those big metal double doors five days a week. That's not to say that I was a bad student. I was actually a very good student: all A's, never any detention or write-ups. But, as it goes in high school, I sacrificed popularity for education. It didn't really bother me much. I wasn't too fond of attention, anyway. I was content to be the loner who sat by herself at lunch and never really spoke to anyone. And that's exactly how my every day carried out. I was invisible. I noticed everything and everyone, but I was noticed by no one. It suited me, for the first year or so. I was essentially a very shy person, so the less people noticed me, the better. When I first moved to Forks, I was the center of attention for about two days. I was the new girl, everyone was curious about me to begin with - and the fact that I was Police Chief Swan's daughter just added to the uproar. After the initial interest in me died down, though, I took my place in the every day routine. I avoided contact with people in the hallway. I never answered questions in class. I was perfectly happy being unknown to the world. I saw what the popular people had to go through to be popular, and I could never understand what was so appealing about it after you took into consideration all the embarrassment they had to go through to get there. I hated embarrassment. I hated people looking at me.

Gym class was by far my least favorite. I took every opportunity I could find to sit out of a game. The coach knew by now that it was completely pointless to try to make me into an athletic person. I passed all of the handwritten tests about the rules of the games and the importance of exercise, but as far as the hands on type of activities… I was a lost cause. Fortunately for me, though, the hands on portion of the class didn't count towards the grade as much as the written portion.

Biology class was my favorite material-wise. I really liked learning about science related phenomenon. I wasn't very fond of the dissection part of that class, but we had not gotten to those lessons yet this year. Apart from Biology, though, lunch was my most looked forward to period of the day. I sat alone at a table on the outer edge of the cafeteria. Every day I made myself a salad and picked through it casually as I studied my classmates. It was amazing what you could learn through simple observations.

The Jock table was one of the largest: football players, some basketball players mixed in. The lot of them suffered from delusions of superiority. They spent most of their lunch hour watching the backsides of numerous girls as they walked by and whistling obnoxiously, although they would partake in the occasional spit-ball fight. It amazed me how easily entertained they could be. They were not by any standards very bright individuals. At least… not during lunch period. I knew that half of them were failing several classes, and for some reason that didn't surprise me. It hadn't been like that back in Phoenix. The Jocks were all very smart and nice there. What was it about the jocks at Forks high that made them all seem like their mental capacities were that of a two year old? I had wondered about that mystery many days, but today I didn't feel like watching the jocks. Instead I turned my attention to other tables in the cafeteria.

The band and drama kids banded together, same as it was in Phoenix. Despite the reputation they were given, they weren't actually a bad group of kids. They seemed to enjoy themselves quite a bit while retaining their dignity and proving higher maturity levels than most of their peers. Many of them were sporting ipods and earphones and bobbing their heads with the music, others would talk amongst themselves and discuss assignments and classes. Today there wasn't much interesting going on with the band kids.

I scanned the rest of the tables that I had labeled - teachers pets, honors students, and emo kids - until I finally became drawn in to the one table in the center of everything. They were it. The most popular kids in school. Everyone wanted to _be_ them, or be_ with_ one of them. Everyone except me.

I couldn't deny, though… they were beautiful. And regardless of the fact that I had only been in Forks for a year and a half, I knew all their names. They were the talk of the school. There were 8 constant occupants of the center table. Others came and went as the times changed, but the original 8 were always there.

Emmett Forester was a large, bulky guy who had been sought after to be on sports teams since before I moved here. He never joined any sports teams, though, in order to appease his very needy girlfriend, Rosalie Hale. She was also one of the popular eight. She could always be found right next to Emmett, demanding his full attention be on her and no one else. She was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen, but her beauty was partially negated by how cold she was on most occasions. Not cold in the sense of temperatures, though, she was just never a very kind person. She always seemed very selfish to me.

Rosalie's brother was Jasper Hale. He was also, like Emmett, a very good looking man. He had blonde wavy hair and he was rarely seen without his guitar. He was dating Alice Cullen. Alice was a very short, pixie like girl who looked very friendly. She was probably the nicest out of all of them. Her black, unruly hair stuck out at all angles and made her very distinguishable from other people. She also had a very high pitched voice that traveled all the way across the cafeteria. Today, her subject of gossip was Mr. Banner, my Biology teacher's, new toupee. It was apparently not a very convincing hair piece, and she was currently instructing her cousin, Edward, to make sure that he took a good look at it next period.

Edward Cullen was the most interesting of them all, in my opinion. He had messy bronze hair that appeared to be haphazardly styled with gel every morning. His eyes were a deep and beautiful green and his smile was one of the most breathtaking things I had ever seen. He kept to himself much more than the rest, but it was obvious that he enjoyed being friends with them. Still, despite the beautiful half-smile almost always present on his face, there seemed to be something weighing him down. His happiness seemed forced, almost. It was as if he knew that he should be happy… I mean, he had it all. He was gorgeous, half the population of females in the school, including the teachers, were clamoring over him, but there seemed to be some underlying sadness to his movement. On occasion, I noticed, when it seemed that no one was looking at him, he would get this heart breaking frown on his face, as if he was thinking about something that made him very sad. Another thing I noticed about Edward Cullen, though, was that he had very obvious eyes for Tanya Edington, who was the queen bee of the school.

Tanya was a tall, busty blonde who flaunted far too much skin and never wore the same outfit to school twice. She was constantly flanked by her two best friends Irina Govaczek and Kate Smith who were very similar in the way they dressed and acted. Nobody really knew what they looked like, though, on account of the overload of makeup always present on their faces. Tanya was the ruler of the popular eight, and consequently, the ruler of the student body. To say that her parents were filthy rich would be the understatement of the century. I was not so sure that I had ever seen Tanya ride to school in the same vehicle twice. But the money, I'm sure, was of little importance to Edward. His father was a doctor and his mother was a psychiatrist, so money was of no issue to him either. Tanya noticed Edward, oh yes, but not in a way that was beneficial to him. It was clear to me that when she returned his stare, she was only looking for ways to use him. Of course there was bound to be some form of attraction. Edward was… to say the least, beautiful. But Tanya had her pick of any boy in Forks, and she used that to her advantage. She never stuck with one boy for long. As long as they were available, she had no interest. When they were unavailable however, she suddenly decided that they were worth pursuing. There was some unexplainable desire that she had to make sure that every girl knew that she could have their man if she wanted to. I had witnessed it many times. Rosalie Hale had very nearly rearranged her face one day during second period calculus as a result of her hitting on Emmett. Fortunately for me, the teacher intervened before things got ugly. I was sitting right beside them and based on my history of luck, I would have probably suffered the brunt of a couple foul aimed punches.

Edward was different, though. I'm not sure what exactly made me think that he was different, but I just couldn't help but get that impression from him. Something about the way he acted made me think that he was looking for more than just a date to a party. Now, what would ever make him think that Tanya held enough depth or sincerity to be anyone's "one", I'll never know. Maybe I was wrong about Edward being different. Maybe he only wanted to be with her because she was the most popular girl to walk her 200 dollar heels down the chipped tiles of Forks High's hallways. It did me no use to strain my brain over his intentions, though. It wasn't like I was going to have a conversation with Edward Cullen any time soon… or at all. I didn't exist to him. As far as I was concerned, we lived in two separate worlds only drawn together by single party observations over lunch and the occasional and often unnoticed brush in the hallway. The closest thing to association with Edward I had ever had was when he had been paired with me the first day of school as a lab partner in Biology. He hadn't even waited to hear my name called to go ask Mr. Banner to change his partner to Tanya. Mr. Banner, of course, had complied. Edward had this way of convincing people to see things his way. It was impressive… in a very annoying sort of way. I was fine with him not being my lab partner anyway. There were an uneven number of people and I liked being alone much better than depending on a partner for half of my grade. I preferred self sufficiency to socializing any day.

Aside from that, there was never really any connection between myself and the popular eight at all. There was, however, the one time Rosalie Hale had spiked a volleyball at my head in gym… But I had convinced myself that that was accidental and the resulting injury was not intentional, rather a side-effect of my lack of coordination. At any rate, it got me out of gym for the rest of the period, so I suppose I could thank her for that.

I was just about to draw my attention back to my salad when a new conversation at the table caught my interest.

"Edward," Tanya addressed him breathily, leaning over the table towards him, her low cut shirt revealing far too much cleavage. "you _are_ coming to my party tonight, right?" She batted her long, heavily mascara'd eyelashes at him.

"I was thinking about it." Edward's voice was louder than usual to compensate for the obnoxious conversations taking place around them.

Taking that as more than just a maybe, Tanya continued, "Who are you bringing with you?"

Edward shook his head and shrugged slightly.

"Oh, Edward…" Tanya groaned, "You can't possibly be coming alone. You could bring anyone with you…"

"I'm not sure, Tanya…" he repeated, shifting uneasily in his chair.

"Well then, I guess you will just have to be my date, wont you?" she smiled slyly.

"Oh, that's very generous, bu-"

"Oh, please, Edward," she leaned back and rolled her eyes a little. "Don't even pretend like you don't want to go with me."

Edward snapped his mouth shut and stared back at her unemotionally.

"Be there at seven," she advised with a smirk, "And I'm wearing a red cocktail dress. Don't clash."

Edward hesitated for a moment and nodded slightly. Tanya smirked again and then joined Alice and Kate's conversation. Edward waited until no one was looking at him, then, discreetly, he smiled.

I had no idea what he saw in her. That would remain a mystery to me, I guess. The one thing I had taken from eavesdropping on their conversation, though, was that I would now have to change the route I would be taking to get home from work that evening.

I worked at the library at the edge of town. I worked the evenings, so all I was in charge of doing was checking in books from the drop box and replacing them on the shelves after everyone was gone. It was a really great job for me, because I was not prone to being very social, and I was more of a night person than a morning person. There was no real set time for my job. I left when the work was finished. Sometimes I left at 8 PM, sometimes not until midnight. I knew that tonight was going to be a late night. Though. Friday nights were always the busiest for me. The library wasn't open on the weekends, so all books that needed to be returned in the three day period of time that fell on the weekends were often returned on Friday to avoid late fees. That fact resulted in three times the work on Friday nights. I didn't mind, really. Where else was I going to go. The fact that I was working all the time on Fridays was actually beneficial when it came to my father. It was much easier to explain my lack of places to go as a senior in high school on a Friday night with work rather than lack of friends.

The reason that Tanya's party had altered my work route was because Tanya's home… well, mansion, rather, was just blocks from the library. If I wasn't leaving until late, I could predict a heavy flow of intoxicated drivers littering the streets around town all night long. If there was one thing I hated, it was reckless drivers.

There were two ways to get back to my house from the library. One wound straight through town. The other, definitely less traveled, road involved back streets that occasionally resembled something out of a horror movie, if the lighting and weather were just right. I normally chose the bright lit streets in town, rather than the abandoned side roads, but tonight I would be sacrificing the comforting roads for my own personal safety. I was not fond of drunk drivers.

I listened to Tanya babble on to Edward about the many guests that would show up and the different drinks her father had bought for the party all throughout Biology. We were supposed to be counting out ten thousand navy beans into jars for a lab on Monday, but Tanya was coolly leaning against the back of her chair and paying special attention to her nail beds as Edward tried desperately to focus on the task at hand. I was well into my seventh jar of beans as I began listening to snippets of their conversation… or, Tanya's conversation.

"Somebody wanted to bring Jessica Stanley to the party, but I'm not sure about her. She's really short and she talks _way_ too much. I think I might invite Lauren Mallory. I heard her dad is buying her a mustang. It's not as good as my second mustang was, but I guess I can give her a chance. Oh, and the whole football team is going to be there. I hope James isn't too bummed when he finds out I'm going with you. I swear, that boy has been trying to get into my pants for the last three years. You would think he would get a clue already. I don't like boys with hair longer than mine. It's weird. Are you even listening to me, Edward?"

"What? Oh… yeah, I'm just… trying not to lose count."

"What number are you on now? This is boring," she whined.

"I…" he started, "Shit. I don't remember," he cursed.

I stifled a small laugh as I scooped the eight thousandth bean into the eight jar and sealed it. By the time class was over, Edward had only gotten 6 jars counted and I had spent the last ten minutes studying the seemingly misplaced rug on Mr. Banner's head.

The next two class periods went by quickly. English was always a breeze for me, but History always left me very drowsy, which was not the greatest condition to leave in at the end of the day. I brought my backpack with me to 7th period so that I could leave immediately after. It was always more convenient if I could get my truck out of the parking lot before the rest of the students came bustling out.

My truck was one of my favorite possessions. It was a faded and somewhat rusted red color. It had big, rounded fenders and tire chains that Charlie had made a habit of putting on in the winter. It was solid. Sensible. The gas mileage wasn't the greatest, but I felt safe inside of it. The only drawback was that it wouldn't run past 60 miles per hour, which wasn't exactly a problem for me because I always obeyed speed limits, and no where in this town was a speed limit about 45. The radio was broken, so I always drove with one earphone of my ipod tucked into my ear. It was something to drown out the heavy roar of the engine.

I jabbed the play button on my ipod as I slid into the truck and slammed the door with a grating creak. I smiled as I heard the first few words of the song. "I can ride my bike with no handlebars, no handlebars, no handlebars.."

My one and only friend Jacob had insisted on educating my taste in music. Mozart and Debussy were not sufficient enough to him, it seemed. This was no doubt one of the songs he had put on there. I shook my head dubiously and rolled my eyes as I pulled out of the parking lot and set my car in the direction of home.

Charlie was just coming out to his cruiser as I pulled in the driveway.

"Hi Bells," he greeted, running his fingers through his hair and waiting for me on the sidewalk.

"Hi Dad. Heading to work?" I asked knowingly. On Fridays he often took on an extra shift. Nothing made him happier than catching some 'late night hooligans'.

"Yep. You can order a pizza if you want to. I left money on the kitchen table. I'll just eat the leftovers when I get home."

"I was going to make chicken noodle soup before I headed off to work tonight," I shrugged.

"You don't have to Bells," he offered. "It's a Friday, you know. Go do something. Hang out with friends from school, or Jacob maybe."

"Dad, it's fine, really," I assured him. He looked at me suspiciously and then submitted, mumbling something about how reclusive I was as he dug his keys out of his pocket and headed towards his police cruiser.

"Be careful on the roads. They're slippery," I warned.

"Yeah, will do, Bells. See you in the morning. Have a good night at work."

"You too," I nodded awkwardly, turning on my heel and heading towards the porch, stubbing my toe on an uneven piece of concrete as I went.

Charlie and I had never had a very easy relationship. Everything was a little forced, with us. I cooked and cleaned and all that kind of stuff, and he always showed his appreciation, but we were never very open with feelings. We loved each other, but we gave each other copious amounts of space. We both liked to be alone.

I wandered around the kitchen, my earphone still pumping steady music through my ears. Several concert pieces came and went and then one or two Linkin Park songs, but all I had in my head was "No handlebars, no handlebars." I scowled as I placed the lid on the steaming chicken noodle soup and dragged my backpack over to the table to unload my calculus homework. I managed to finish all of that plus several chapters of the required reading of Jane Eyre for Advanced English. I had already read the book multiple times, but I figured a refresher couldn't hurt. Plus, the soup wouldn't be done for another half hour.

After an assortment of other classical pieces, another song that was clearly of Jacob's chosing began to play. As soon as I heard the words "My wiper wiper wiper blades." I pressed next, shaking my head again. An unfamiliar song began filling my ears as I stirred the soup and turned the heat off of the stove.

"Collide" by Howie Day was the song, or at least that's what the display screen on my ipod informed me. I hadn't heard it before now, so this must have been Jacob's doing too. I really liked this song, though. As I ate a bowl of soup and got myself ready and off to work, I had placed it on repeat and listened to it over and over, soaking in the lyrics and trying to decipher what they meant while having a very strange out of body experience. Though I had never heard the song before now, I couldn't help feeling that it was somehow significant…

_Even the best fall down sometimes  
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme  
Out of the doubt that fills my mind  
I somehow findYou and I collide_

* * *

all mentioned music can be found in my profile information via a link to a download list.

:)


	2. Chapter 2

Edwards POV

"How late are you going to be?" my mother, Esme asked as she leaned against the door frame.

"I'm not sure. I'll text you when I find out," I suggested.

"Okay. Is Alice going to the party too?"

"Yeah, Jasper's picking her up, I think."

"Of course he is," Esme rolled her eyes a little as she smiled. Alice and Jasper had been dating for a solid three years now. There was nothing that the two of them didn't do together. They were made for each other. "Alright. Be safe," she warned, leaning forward and gripping my chin gently and giving it a light shake. "Don't forget to text me. You know how I worry when I don't hear from you…"

"Yeah, I will," I nodded, patting her hand comfortingly before turning to exit the house.

Esme and Carlisle were great parents, really. They were strict enough, but still very trusting. They let Alice and I be teenagers, but they had rules about never coming home drunk and always letting them know where we were. It was reasonable. Maybe even a little bit more than we deserved at times…

I was never really one for getting drunk, though. Alice wasn't always as careful at parties as I was, but I never worried about her. Jasper took very good care of her and made sure that she didn't get into any trouble. Jasper and I were very similar in the way we behaved at parties. We would have one or two drinks, and we never drove if we felt we couldn't. Neither of us ever drank in quantities that had any effect on us other than just a mild buzz.

I slammed the door to my Volvo and reached into my pocket for my iPod. I never went anywhere without my music. I found that no matter what mood I was in at the time, music could often change it. Right now, I needed to have something other than the classical music I had been listening to lately. I scrolled through the numerous play lists sorted by mood until I found one that suited the present moment. I clicked play and the song "Check Yes Juliet" by We The Kings began blaring through the speakers. I smiled to myself as I put the car in gear, considering how amazing music was. I depended on it for my sanity, at times. My iTunes contained a good ten thousand songs. I never restricted myself to one genre, either. I listened to everything and anything, appreciating it all for what it was - music.

I flicked on the windshield wipers as I turned the car around and headed down the long drive way. It was almost a natural impulse, the windshield wipers. It was almost as natural as reaching for my seatbelt - just another thing to be expected when you lived in Forks. The rain here was as common as the sun in Florida. I didn't mind it too much. I was actually kind of fond of the rain. I respected it. I had become so used to it in my lifetime that the steady tapping of raindrops against my windows felt more like home to me than my actual house did.

That's not to say, of course, that there was anything wrong with my house. I had more than just a roof over my head, I had a roof, three levels, and several balconies over my head in fact. It wasn't that I didn't love my family, either, I had just always felt this big hole inside of me. There was always something that just wasn't right, here. I hadn't told my parents yet, but I planned on getting as far away from Forks as I could when I graduated. I had lived here my whole life, so obviously, whatever I was lacking, I wasn't going to find it here. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't force myself to accept Forks as my home.

My phone rang. One glance at the illuminated screen told me that it was Tanya. I hastily turned down the volume on my radio and flipped the phone open.

"Where are you?" she greeted.

"On my way."

"Where?"

"Ten minutes."

"You're late," she informed me.

I glanced quickly at the clock. "You told me to be there at 7," I reminded her.

"It's five minutes to seven. If you're here in ten minutes, you'll be five minutes late."

I was silent. Could she really be this serious about 5 minutes.

"I can't be without a date when people start arriving. It looks bad."

"I'll be there soon," I promised her, but the line already seemed to have been disconnected.

Scowling, I snapped the phone shut and tossed it in the passengers seat before turning the volume back up. I laughed a little to myself when the song had changed to "I Hate Everything About You" by Three Day's Grace. It was ironic. I really did loathe almost every aspect of Tanya. Most of the time she was a complete bitch, but for some reason I was drawn to her. I didn't want to be. God knows, I would have rather avoided her, but I couldn't help but feel obligated to like her. Maybe it was the fact that every other male in that school was head over heels for her. Maybe it was the fact that her - being the most popular, single female, and me - being the most popular, single male, were just naturally expected to be together. Maybe it was the inescapable feeling of inadequacy that I felt whenever I let myself dwell on my loneliness. Maybe it was the feeling that I had when I was around her… the feeling that there was so much more depth to this girl than she ever let on and the desire for me to be the one to be able to bring those qualities out of her. I guess it was just one of those things in life that you can't explain. For whatever reason, I liked Tanya more than I wanted to. Now that I finally had a date with her, as unofficial as it may seem, I was more nervous than anything. Not nervous because I didn't want to make a fool out of myself, but nervous because I knew what she could do to me. Tanya had the tendency to hurt everyone that she ever dated and then blame it on them. I guess I was just naïve enough to think that I would be the one that was different; stupid enough to believe that I would be the one to finally cause Tanya to part with her old ways and keep a boy around for longer than two weeks.

I was wrong.

The party had progressed as all parties do. Students piled in steadily and the beat of the music resonated in every floorboard. I mingled with different people and fulfilled my escort expectations, following Tanya around and getting her drinks whenever she so demanded. One particular occasion in which she decided that she wanted another bottle of mikes hard lemonade, I returned to find her missing. I asked the people she was with and they said she just disappeared without an explanation. I searched for several more minutes until I bumped into Jessica Stanley who was searching for her date, Mike Newton at that moment as well.

"Oh, hi Edward," she blushed, smoothing the plaits on her skirt out and fussing with her hair quickly, smiling at me the whole time.

"Hi, Jessica. Have you seen Tanya?" I asked as politely as I could.

"No.. I… I haven't," she replied in a slightly disappointed tone.

"Thanks," I mumbled before turning and walking away, not giving her time to ask me if I knew where Mike was. I decided to call Tanya's phone and ask her personally where the hell she was. She kept her phone on her at all times, so that was a sure way to contact her, I figured. I darted up the grand staircase in the middle of the main hall in order to escape some of the noise before quickly opening my recent calls menu and selecting her name. I listened to the phone ring once, twice, three times. Voicemail? Normally her phone rang 8 times before it went to voicemail, and even that was a rare occasion as her phone was practically a part of her anatomy by now.

I snapped the phone shut again, grinding my teeth in confusion as I turned back towards the staircase. I stopped short, though, as a noise resonated from a door to my left. Not just any noise, though. A giggle. Clenching my jaw with violent realization, I turned towards the door and reached for the handle. The polished silver knob turned beneath my hand with no resistance that suggested a lock. The occupants of the room remained completely unaware of the intrusion on their privacy as they continued to ravish each others bodies blindly. I didn't need to notice the bright red cocktail dress discarded on the floor to identify Tanya. I felt an angry heat wash through my body as I pushed the door open the rest of the way until it hit the wall with a noticeable bang.

"Edward!" Tanya exhaled, her eyes wide. A very shocked and disheveled looking Mike Newton turned to face me. One look at him and it was completely obvious that he was plastered, drunk. Tanya, however, had not nearly consumed enough alcohol to use intoxication as her excuse. She knew exactly what she was doing. She always did. Mike Newton turned more and freed one of his hands to wave stupidly at me while Tanya's face was still draining of color as she stared at me.

I quickly turned and stormed out of the room. I heard Tanya wildly struggling with something behind me and I was halfway down the staircase before I heard her shout from the top of the stairs- "Edward, wait!"

I ignored her. Judging by the gaping mouths of the people still partying at the bottom of the stairs, Tanya had not gotten completely dressed before following me. Jessica Stanley was among the few people standing around as I pushed through the crowd to the door. As I passed her, I turned my head slightly in her direction and spat - "I found Mike," before leaving her, like everyone else, open mouthed and staring in confusion in my wake.

Once inside my car, I didn't leave any time to find a song on my iPod. For all I knew, Tanya was still following me. No doubt she had already constructed some bullshit excuse about how she was so drunk that she mistook Mike for me. I wasn't in any mood for her lies right now. Normally she gave guys more of a chance than that before she ended up hurting them. I hadn't even made it six hours.

My Volvo roared to life, spitting gravel up as I hit the gas pedal and bolted down her winding, paved driveway and beneath the archway and onto the road. I didn't want the main roads right now. I was pissed off and some serious speeding was called for in instances like this. I needed to let off some steam. I turned my vehicle in the opposite direction from which I came and headed straight for the back roads. No one would be on the back roads this late at night. One glance at the clock told me that it was almost midnight. Usually the cops would all be lurking the main city streets at this point of the evening, so I should be in the clear there. The last thing I needed was to add a ticket to my night to make it that much worse.

Now that I was away from the party, I reached for my iPod. I scrolled through the mood-themed play lists again until I found the one titled - "Pissed". The first song to blare through my speakers after I selected the list was a song that I hadn't heard in quite a long time. It was very fitting, for my mood, though. I cranked the volume up, letting the harsh and dry rhythm of the electric guitars pulse through me. I steadied my breathing and began mouthing the words as they were sung… or, screamed, rather.

I finally remembered the name of the song. It was "When World's Collide" by Powerman 5000. I continued to listen to it as I pulled off of the main road and down a seemingly deserted back road. There were scarcely any houses in this part of town, and the density of the forest left most people without cell phone service. It was not lighted, and the speed limit was only posted once. I did not even consider obeying the 45 mile per hour limit. I was going close to 100 mph already by the time I had even approached the sign.

I couldn't believe I had been so stupid to think that it would be different this time. I couldn't understand why I had been naïve enough to believe that I would be the one that made Tanya change.

No one could make Tanya change. She would live her life going through man after man and leaving them in her wake, used and broken. That's what she was good at. And I, being the idiot that I was, had just given her the means to turn me into another tally on her scoreboard.

My knuckles were white as I gripped the steering wheel. I saw a curve in the road ahead, slightly blurred by the spatter of rain on the windshield.

When did it start raining? It hadn't been raining when I left the party..

Somewhere in between my registration of the curve ahead and my foot finding the break pedal so that my car could safely make the turn and my action to turn on the windshield wipers, the headlights appeared. They were so unexpected on this dark and abandoned road that they caught me off guard for a moment. Before I knew what had happened, I felt the tires beneath my car lose contact with the blacktop and I felt myself sliding, almost in slow motion, into the lane of oncoming traffic.

The collision could have been much worse, really. If I had been going 55 miles over the speed limit like I was just moments before, the crash might have even been fatal - but I wasn't. I was going 62 miles per hour as I clipped the passing vehicle's tail end. The impact caused the driver of the other vehicle to lose control as well and the front end of that vehicle swung around to meet the rear of my Volvo with a shriek of grating metal on metal and the squeal of tires. I lost track of what was going on around me as the drivers side window shattered and the air bag exploded into my face. I closed my eyes and waited until it was over, hoping desperately that the other driver wasn't hurt. My car rocked to a stop after the passenger side had an unpleasant interaction with the towering wall of trees on the side of the road. Fortunately, my car was still on all four wheels, though. I struggled with the airbag until I could see out the open space that used to be my window. The other vehicle sat diagonally in the middle of the road, looking beaten up and worn out… but it might have been like that before.

It was a large, red pickup truck. It was faded and rusted and had several small dents decorating it, but didn't look like it had suffered any major damage. It was still running, the headlights shining a milky glow of light onto the pavement that was littered with glass. The rain was visible, falling in thin constant sheets illuminated by the lights. The door of the truck opened with a creak and I saw two feet clad in unattractive rain boots splash onto the pavement beneath the open door.

She looked vaguely familiar as she ran through the rain towards my car, but I couldn't place where I had seen her before.

"Are you alright?" she asked, concern obviously present in her voice as she slipped on the mud and caught herself on the mangled mess that was my car.

"Yeah, I'm… I think so…" I managed, still fighting with the air bag.

"Are you hurt?"

"I don't know," I mumbled as I reached for the handle of the door. It swung open without even requiring me to pull the lever. I fought with the seatbelt, fumbling blindly with my right hand looking for the release button. After I found it, I accepted the hand that she offered to me and stumbled out of the vehicle. "Thanks," I mumbled, turning to look at the damage to my car. It was almost completely ruined. The body of the car was dented and different pieces of the bumper and other vital looking parts were dropped like bread crumbs along the road to the cars final resting place.

"Shit!" I cursed, lifting my hands to my head and tangling them into my damp hair. "Damn it! Oh, shit." I continued, knowing that Esme and Carlisle were not going to be pleased with this.

I realized with a start that I was still in the presence of someone else. I whirled quickly to find her standing awkwardly with her hands in her pockets, staring at the ground.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" I started. She looked up at me and then back at her truck in contemplation. "It's okay. My truck will survive." But as she said it, her truck sputtered and the headlights went out decisively.

"Shit," she muttered, turning back to face me. Her eyes widened and then she took on a pale, sick looking color.

"What?" I asked frantically. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah.. I'm… you're… I'll be right back," she stammered before taking off back to her truck. She returned a moment later with a first aid kit.

"You're bleeding," she pointed out.

"Oh!" My hand flew to my forehead in surprise where sure enough, a heavy trickle of blood was creeping down onto my cheek.

Her breathing grew heavy and labored as she pulled a sanitary cloth out of the kit and opened the package, stuffing the wrapper into her pocket and gulping as she lifted it to my forehead. I would have been much more appreciative of her gesture if she didn't look like she was about to be violently ill.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked again, feeling my brow furrow in concern.

"Yeah. I just don't like… blood," she gulped, wiping the last of the blood off and reaching for a large square band aid. Despite her obvious desperation to get the blood out of her sight, she was very slow and gentle as she pressed the band aid over the gash on my forehead.

"Sorry," she grimaced as I winced in pain.

"No, it's fine," I assured her. "Thank you."

She smiled a little in response and then turned to presumably return the first aid kit to her truck, but she slipped almost immediately and landed with a small "Oomph" in the mud.

"Whoa!" I stooped down to help her back up.

"Dang it…" she mumbled, brushing the mud off the back of her jacket. "I'm such a klutz."

"Hey, you're not the one caused an accident," I shrugged.

"You hydroplaned," she informed me, "It's not like you did it on purpose."

"I could have been more careful," I argued.

I caught her stare then and we both fell silent for a moment.

Her eyes were a beautiful deep brown. I turned my gaze away from hers almost immediately because I had suddenly had the feeling that she could somehow see right through my pretenses and know the truth. I didn't exactly know what the truth was, but she shouldn't know it before I did, at any rate.

"Umm… do you have a phone?" I asked her, feeling my pockets and realizing that I must have left my phone in the center console in my mangled car. I doubted I would find it, now.

"Yeah… but we're not going to get a signal out here," she frowned, reaching into her pocket and pulling out an out dated looking phone.

"Crap," I mumbled. "Are you sure you can't get your truck started?"

"I'll check," she shrugged.

"I'll see if I can find my phone," I offered as we turned towards our vehicles.

Neither of us had any luck. I couldn't find my phone, and as I looked I could hear the stalling noises of her truck as she tried and failed several times to start it. Mine wouldn't start, either, so there was no way we could use mine to jump hers.

"So now what?" I bit my lip sheepishly, embarrassed that I had gotten myself and a complete stranger into a mess like this.

"Well… I doubt there will be any vehicles coming down this road this late at night, and if there are, they will see my truck. It's kind of in the middle of the road… But that's a small chance, so I guess I can just walk around until I find a signal…" she suggested.

"I'll come with you," I offered. I didn't feel right letting her wander around in the dark by herself just because I had been stupid enough to cause a car crash.

She didn't argue. She nodded once, rocking back on her heels and standing awkwardly in front of me before clapping her hands together oddly and starting off down the road. I shook my head a little in confusion and sprinted to catch up with her.

She walked with her phone out in front of her face, staring at the signal bars. With nothing else to focus on but the creepy surroundings, I stared at her.

She was actually very pretty, in her own way. Her brown hair was tousled across her face gently by the wind and her cheeks were a bright pink. Her eyebrows were drawn together in concentration and her chocolate brown eyes moved between the ground in front of us to the phone in her hand. Every now and then she would catch her bottom lip between her perfect white teeth and sigh in frustration. She was so mysterious and unfamiliar to me, though I felt that I knew her from somewhere. She looked about my age, though, but I couldn't be sure.

"I can't help but feel like I've seen you before…" I finally said.

She didn't speak, instead, a small smile spread across her lips and she looked down at the ground. I stared at her for another moment until she chuckled and shook her head once before going back to looking at the signal strength displayed on her phone.

"What?" I urged, stopping.

She stopped several paces ahead of me and turned to face me, a half smile still tugging at the corner of her mouth. "I'm not surprised by that, Edward."

I frowned. She knew my name? "So I must know you, then."

She chuckled again, "I've gone to school with you for the last two years."

"No!" I denied. "I would have recognized you… You must not be in my grade…"

She nodded, "Yeah. I'm a Senior."

"Well then we must not have any classes together."

"Biology, 5th period, Mr. Banner," she said simply.

I stared at her for another moment before something she said finally registered in my head. She said she had gone to school with me for 2 years. She must have been a relatively new student, then. I searched through my memory for any new students in my grade and could recall only one…

"Isabella Swan?" I asked uncertainly.

She winced, "Bella… please."

"Oh man… I'm so sorry. I feel like such a dick," I apologized.

"Don't worry about it. The fact that you didn't know me just puts you with the majority," she shrugged, turning around and starting off in the direction we had just been going. I jogged to catch up with her again and continued talking, desperate to console myself somehow.

"We must have never really met, though… right?"

"We were lab partners once," she said indifferently, still looking at her phone.

"What?"

"Yeah. The first day this year. But you had Mr. Banner put you with Tanya instead, which was just as well for me. I'm alright with being alone…"

"I feel like such an idiot," I shook my head.

"Don't. It's not a big deal."

"It is, though!" I insisted. "You knew who I was."

"How could I go to that school and _not_ know you?" she shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows Edward Cullen. You're like… the number one attraction to most girls in that school."

"_Most_ girls?" I raised my eyebrow.

She turned her head slightly and glanced at me, "Yes. Most. I never count myself in with the majority."

I stopped talking then for a minute, feeling suddenly like I was being a pesky adolescent following her around and asking constant questions while she was trying to get something productive accomplished. It was astonishing to me how interesting this girl was… and even more astonishing that I had never noticed her before. To consider the fact that she had been there all along and I had never even bothered to look her way made me feel like a complete ass.

"You must think I'm such a self-absorbed asshole," I commented quietly.

"No. I don't judge people based on my observations… especially since I barely get to know anyone to the point where I can make any judgments."

"Why?" There I went with the pesky questions again.

She shot me a questioning glance.

"I mean…. why don't you get to know anyone?"

"I just… never have. I'm content with my own company, I guess."

"That must suck. Haven't you ever had a boyfriend or anything though?"

"No…"

I resisted the urge to ask why.

"What kind of things have you observed about me?"

She hesitated.

"If my questions are making you uncomfortable or anything, you can just tell me to shut up. I'll understand." I added sincerely.

"Shut up," she said quietly.

I hadn't expected that, but I obliged quickly, feeling very guilty.

"Can I ask you a question?" she said finally, after a long moment of silence.

"Yes."

"Do you think I'm a freak?"

"Not at all," I answered honestly. "In fact, I'm quite fascinated by you. You're so different than most girls."

"How so?"

"Well… for someone who is so… reclusive, for lack of a better term, you seem relatively friendly and easy to talk to. Maybe that's why I can't shut up.."

She glanced at me again before sighing in resignation, "There's a lot more to you than what people think. Your popularity is only an external layer. You're really intelligent, and you're not like the group of people you hang out with. You like Tanya Edington for some unknown reason, although she is completely out of your league and I don't really think she deserves you." She blushed and bit her lip momentarily before continuing, "That's what I've observed about you." she paused for a moment before adding - "and now you probably think that I'm a stalker or something."

"No. I don't. You're just very perceptive."

The rain had let up since we had started walking, so we were both almost completely dry, now. Bella still stared at her cell phone, her face contorted in frustration. I was silent for a while until another question piqued my curiosity.

"Why were you all the way out on this road, anyways? Do you live out here, somewhere?"

"No," she chuckled. "I was out here to avoid _you._"

I paused for a moment, completely confused. "I…. I don't understand that," I admitted.

She glanced at me again before flicking her eyes upward and blinking furiously, "Remember that whole observant thing we were just discussing?"

"Yes."

"Well my observations led me to understand that there was a party tonight. I work at the library a few blocks from Tanya's house. I decided that this back road would be much clearer of drunk-driving peers than the town route would have been… but obviously, I was wrong. If I wouldn't have forgotten my house key though, I would never have had to turn around in the first place."

"You don't keep your house key with your truck key?"

She chuckled a little, "No. My truck key is jammed in the ignition."

"That stinks," I commented.

"Not really. Who would want to steal _that_?" she gestured behind us at her vehicle that was no longer visible through the cover of darkness that had thickened with each step further we walked. "It's kind of a piece of crap," she grimaced. "But I'm sure you noticed that. I'm actually rather shocked that it survived the night so far."

"Oh…" I exhaled, feeling more like an ass than I had before. "Seriously, Bella, I am really sorry about this. If there is anything I can do to make it up to you…"

"There is one thing," she said indifferently, extending her arm upward as if that would help the phone achieve a signal.

"Yes?"

"Don't drink and drive anymore." Her tone was more suggestive than demanding, but I noticed her blush a little at her own assertiveness.

I was about to open my mouth and point out that I hadn't had a lot to drink, but I realized that it would do me no good. Instead I just nodded and said -"Oh, right."

I was about to apologize some more, but she jumped suddenly and gasped, "One bar."

"Oh, good! Who do we call, now?"

"My dad," she said simply, pressing a speed dial number and pressing the phone to her ear quickly. I was about to comment on how it would be more helpful if she called for a tow truck or something when I remembered that her father was the police chief.

"Dad? Yes, I'm alright. I know its late. Dad, listen…" she said hurriedly. "I got in an accident on Old Karney road. Yes I know what you always say about driving out here but that's not the point. We're about three miles south of the interstate. Okay. I can't… Dad?" She took the phone away from her ear and sighed.

"Lost the signal?" I asked.

"Yeah, but he's on his way. We should probably get back to the vehicles…" We turned and started walking back in the opposite direction. We were silent for several minutes before she broke the silence.

"Sorry… about being so rude. It's none of my business what you do… the choices you make about drinking and driving.."

"No, you were right. I was stupid. I didn't think I had had too much to drink… I just.."

"Everyone has lapses in judgment sometimes," she shrugged.

"But this has caused far more problems than I wanted it to. It's unfair for you to be dragged into this."

"Shit happens," she said quietly.

"But… I am kind of glad, in a very selfish way, that I ran into you tonight. I don't know how I could have ever overlooked you at school before."

The moonlight illuminated a vivid, scarlet blush as she looked down at the ground again.

We were quiet for a little bit longer then before I broke the silence.

"The truth is, though… I was more of a danger on the road because of my emotional state rather than my alcohol intake."

"Oh," she said softly, not pressing for anymore information if I wasn't willing to give it. For some reason, however, I just couldn't make myself shut up when I was with her. There was something about her that made me feel so comfortable and made me feel like I could tell her anything.

"I went to the party as Tanya's escort and halfway through the night she ditched me to make-out with Mike Newton," I admitted.

"Oh… that's awful." Her voice was genuinely sympathetic.

"I left in a very terrible mood and I came to this road because I expected it would be a good place to let off some steam. It's normally empty at this time of night."

"I guess we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," she shrugged.

"You could look at it that way… but to be honest, I'm kind of glad I met you."

"Why?" she frowned.

"It's nice to know that not all girls are like Tanya," I supplied honestly.

"No… Tanya is definitely one-of-a-kind," she grimaced.

"So are you, though… just without the sarcasm.."

She blushed again, harder this time, but pretended to ignore me.

Again, I found myself fascinated by her. Here I was, openly _flirting_ with her, and she was barely even noticing my advances. She seemed open to my flattery… but still indifferent, in a way. It was almost frustrating. I was very out of practice with flirting, too. It wasn't something I normally had to do to get girls to notice me. I realized at that point that that was highly arrogant of me and I immediately felt another wave of self loathing. Why was I such an ass?

I was about to speak again when it started raining. It wasn't just a light rain, either, it was the kind of rain you saw in movies. The kind of rain where the skies seemed to just open up and release buckets full of water down onto the unsuspecting characters.

"Shit," we both muttered, breaking into a run and holding our arms above our heads in some sort of absurd attempt to keep ourselves dry. The rain poured for about five minutes before it let up, turning into a sprinkle. It eventually stopped all together as the vehicles came into view ahead of us. Bella's teeth chattered noisily and she wrapped her arms around her as we slowed to a walk.

"We can sit in my car if you would like," she suggested.

"I don't want to get your truck all wet.." I said.

"That's true. It's not like its going to be any warmer in my truck either. Its stalled so I can't get the heat running."

"And we should probably wait where we can watch for your dad," I added.

"I have a blanket in my truck," she said through a violent shiver. She crossed to the truck and wrenched open the door. She returned a moment later with a wool blanket draped over her arm.

I began to notice the cold night air too at that point and I felt a shiver ripple through my body. Observant as she was, she didn't miss it. "I only have one blanket," she grimaced.

"That's okay, I don't bite," I laughed.

She dropped the tailgate on her truck and awkwardly hoisted herself onto it. I followed suit and helped her unfold the blanket. She bit her lip uncertainly as I threw the blanket around our backs. She grabbed an edge of it and pulled it tightly around her shoulder, bouncing her foot uncomfortably.

"So… why did you move to Forks?" I questioned, desperate to relieve some of this awkward tension.

"Oh, um… my Mom remarried a guy who moved around a lot."

"I see," I nodded.

"What about you? How long have you lived in Forks?" she asked timidly.

"My whole life. My mom and dad really like it here," I informed her. She nodded once and stared down the road blankly.

"I think my car is totaled," I frowned, throwing a glance over my shoulder at the mangled heap of metal that used to be my Volvo.

"Yeah… my truck is pretty solid," she said almost apologetically.

"Well, I'd rather my car be ruined rather than yours. It was my fault after all."

She didn't speak.

"I will be happy to pay for any damages to your truck, though…" I offered.

"I'm sure its fine. It stalls sometimes even without traumatic experiences. Don't worry about it," she waved my offer away.

I bobbed my head lamely, searching for some other words to use to avoid the moment turning awkward again. "What time is it?" I finally asked. She pulled out her phone and informed me that it was ten minutes past one in the morning. "Shit," I mumbled. "I promised my mom I would call her. She's going to be worried."

"Will you be in trouble?" she asked, concern fringing her tone.

"If I can convince them that it was an accident…" I trailed off. "If they think that I was drinking, though, I'm done for. They hate that."

"Well, you can use my dads radio to call them when he gets here if you want. I'm sure they're worried." Her words were starting to become slightly slurred and the last few syllables were completely garbled by a yawn.

"Yeah," I answered quietly. We fell silent, then. I was about to start up another conversation about Mr. Banner's toupee when I felt a slight pressure on my shoulder. I turned to see Bella's eyes closed, her head slumped ungracefully onto my shoulder.

Smiling to myself, I turned my attention back to watching for headlights on the road. My unconventional attraction to this girl confused me enough as it was… but the emotions that invaded me when I realized that she had fallen asleep on my shoulder were something completely foreign to me. I was almost disappointed that she was asleep because I was enjoying our conversations much more than I should have been. I liked learning more about Bella, and I felt comfortable telling her more about me. But at the same time, I really liked that she had fallen asleep on my shoulder. It said something to me. It was significant in some way. I wasn't sure exactly what way, but I was certain that I didn't care. I was just enjoying the moment. I was enjoying something with more sincerity than I had in a very long time. For this kind of joy to come out of a situation as shitty as this one… It was confusing, but not necessarily unwelcome.

* * *

all music mentioned is available for download via a link in my profile information :)


	3. Chapter 3

I clenched my eyes together as a sudden bright light flashed outside of the protection of my eyelids. I blinked several times, flinching as the illumination flooded my vision. It took a moment for the headlights to swim into view and then I heard the steady rumbling of an engine, and finally, the slam of a car door. I jerked my head up and realized with a start where I was.

I had fallen asleep on Edward Cullen's shoulder.

_Oh my God_.

"Dad!" I scrambled off the tailgate of my truck hurriedly, very nearly falling for the second time that evening.

"Bella," he greeted, throwing an arm around me in an odd hug. "Who's your friend?" He nodded towards Edward.

"Edward Cullen." Edward introduced himself, hopping down from the truck and extending a hand towards Charlie.

"Cullen?" Charlie echoed as he shook Edward's hand, "Dr. Cullen's boy?"

"That's right," Edward confirmed.

"Oh, Bella never mentioned being friends with you."

I blushed.

"Well, you know what they say about extreme circumstances…" Edward chuckled.

"Yeah. Relationships based on them barely ever work out," Charlie said in a very matter-of-fact tone.

"Dad, you heard that on the movie, _Speed_." I rolled my eyes.

Edward smiled in mild confusion before continuing, "No, what I meant was… we had never really been friends before. We just kind of ran into each other tonight."

"Is that supposed to be funny?" Charlie raised his eyebrow.

Edward's face fell in confusion for a moment before he understood how Charlie must have taken his words. "Oh, I didn't mean it like tha-"

"Is this your car?" Charlie interrupted, turning away from Edward to stroll towards the mangled Volvo on the side of the road.

"Um…" Edward looked slightly taken aback, but recovered quickly and followed after Charlie. "Yeah, what's left of it, anyway.."

I slapped my palm onto my forehead with a resounding thud before following behind them. I couldn't believe Charlie was being so rude.

"So, tell me, Edward," Charlie began as he studied the car. "Were you drinking tonight?"

Edward opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. "No, Dad. He was completely sober when the accident happened. He hydroplaned. It's no ones fault."

Edward shot me a questioning glance before adding, "I could have been more careful, but I did hydroplane."

"I pulled over that Newton boy just before Bella called me, he was coming from a party over there on 5th street. Is that where you were?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you weren't drinking?"

"Dad, will you knock it off? He wasn't drunk," I insisted.

Charlie shot me an exasperated glance before finally nodding in acceptance. "I'm just doin' my job. That's all." Charlie contemplated for a moment. "You were very fortunate Mr. Cullen. Had you been seated in any seat other than the driver's side, your injuries may have been fatal. Had you only had the run in with Bella's truck, your car might have been salvageable… but considering the beating it took when it crashed into the trees here, I think it's safe to say that it's totaled."

Edward nodded glumly, but didn't speak.

"Did you sustain any injuries? Either of you?"

"No," we both answered at the same. "I had a cut on my forehead, but Bella took care of that." Edward added.

"I see." Charlie raised his eyebrow tentatively. "Well, normally after being in a crash such as this you would be forced to go to a hospital, but under the circumstances, I'm sure your father can handle things."

"Yes. There's no need for hospitalization," Edward agreed politely.

"Do you have proof of insurance?" Charlie questioned, throwing another glance at the mangled car.

"Yeah… I mean, well… I have full coverage, but all the papers are in the glove compartment." He gestured to the car. "I have my license, though." He pulled out his wallet and handed it over to Charlie.

"In this case, we're obviously not going to be able to access your registration based on the fact that your glove box seems… well…"

"To resemble a pancake?" I suggested.

"Mmm," he nodded. "I'll run this through the computer and call for a tow truck. Would you also like me to contact your parents and have them pick you up?"

"Oh, yeah.. that would probably be a good idea," he agreed.

"No," I blurted, feeling myself blush scarlet as they both turned to stare at me. "I mean… Why bother them? I'm sure they're tired. I can just ride… er… give him a ride.."

They continued to stare at me.

"Home!" I edited frantically, "I can give him a ride home." I hoped desperately that it was too dark for either of them to see the scarlet blush that was undoubtedly accompanying the heat that flooded into my face.

"But, Bella… your truck.." Charlie reasoned.

"I'm sure if you just jump it for me it will be fine. It stalls all the time." I shrugged.

Charlie looked at me questioningly for a moment before nodding. "Oh, alright. Let me just… yeah.." And then he turned and walked back to the cruiser leaving Edward and I standing by the wrecked car.

"I'm sorry about that." I apologized hastily, as soon as Charlie was out of earshot. "I'm pretty sure he's in the father frame of mind a little more than the professional police chief frame of mind right now."

"No, it's totally fine, Edward waved off my apology quickly. "But are you sure you're okay with bringing me home?"

"Would you rather ride with the chief of police or have your parents woken up with a phone call this late?" I raised my eyebrow.

"No," He answered quickly. "Not that I have anything against your dad, of course."

"And it would probably be easier on you if your parents didn't get to experience a late night visit from a police cruiser," I added.

"That is very true," He nodded. "A late night call from a police officer wouldn't be any more appealing either, though I just have this feeling that me coming home to tell them that I totaled my car on the way back from a party isn't going to sit very well to begin with."

"Will they believe that it was an accident?"

"I'm sure with enough coaxing, they will. But my mom is very good at worrying. I'm sure she's probably gone bat shit by now, especially if Alice is home already."

"Well as soon as we get a signal, you can use my phone to text her and tell her you're alright, if you want."

"That would probably be best." He nodded. "Are you really sure you want to bring me all the way home. I live quite a ways past town."

"It's really not a big deal," I assured him.

"I just feel terrible. First I smash into your truck and get you stranded in the rain. Then I annoy you for two hours with my apparent incapability to shut up. Then I insult you by not believing that you were my classmate. You've been more than cool about all this. I feel like you should want to kill me, but instead you tend to my wounds and share your blanket and offer me transportation."

_Well when he says it that way…_

"No, it's fine." I shook my head.

"Alright… then," He hesitated, "Thanks."

I nodded once, but didn't say anything else. Charlie reappeared then and positioned himself between the two of us. "I called for a tow truck, but there's no telling when they'll be here," he informed us as he handed Edward a small slip of paper. "The information for the auto-shop is on that card. Call them up tomorrow sometime and they will settle things with your car."

"Oh, great! Thanks," Edward said, overdoing the politeness a little bit, but I assumed that was to do with the obvious distaste Charlie was displaying towards him.

"Lets jump your truck Bells," Charlie said decisively, turning and beckoning me to follow him.

It only took two tries to get my truck started, fortunately. Charlie's shift wasn't over for another 45 minutes, but he offered to come home early if I wanted him to. Embarrassed, I told him that his concern was appreciated, but not necessary. I borrowed his house key, too, so that I didn't have to go back to the library to get my own.

Edward climbed lithely into my truck beside me, looking slightly nervous as he did so. Much to my dismay, the song 'Claire De Lune' was currently streaming from my iPod into the trucks speakers. Before I had left for work that afternoon I had raided the house for AA batteries to power my FM transmitter so that I didn't have to listen to my iPod through my headphones when I was driving. Charlie always made a point to remind me how unsafe that was… which was why I hoped Charlie would understand when he found his remote control lacking batteries. I grimaced internally as I realized how absurd it was to expect him to be indifferent about not being able to use his remote. I made a mental note to replace the batteries as soon as I made it home and purchase some of my own the next time I ventured out. It was a mystery to me why Charlie had been stealing batteries from the smoke alarms for the last several months for his remote instead of just buying more in the first place.

"You listen to Debussy?" Edward asked, cocking his head to the side quizzically.

The fact that he even knew how to pronounce the name "Debussy" was surprising enough, but adding to that the fact that he had recognized the composer from just ten seconds of a song was shocking.

"_You_ listen to Debussy?" I countered, changing my mind about turning the song and placing my hand on the gear shifter instead.

"I…" He faltered, "Sometimes."

"Oh." I said quietly, not wanting to push the point further.

I drove carefully, never going past the speed limit and always using my blinker and coming to complete stops. I drove like this all the time, but I emphasized it now for Edward's benefit. As soon as I had a signal again, I handed my phone to Edward. He thanked me and quickly text messaged his mother.

He explained to me the simple way to get to his house and I nodded my understanding. We drove in silence for another moment until the song changed, giving Edward another opportunity to shock me.

"'Collide' by Rachel Yamagata." He nodded as the song began.

I felt my jaw drop as I turned to glance at him. "I'm impressed," I explained as he threw me a questioning look.

Even more shocking yet, he hummed to the song as we drove, not showing the slightest hint of humility.

"Now _I'm_ impressed," he said approvingly as the song changed again to the song 'I Don't Care' by Apocalyptica. "Someone who listens to Debussy and can also appreciate music styles like this?" He nodded approvingly.

"I could say the same about you," I replied, not taking my eyes off the road.

"I really like music," he admitted with a shrug, "I don't think its right to restrict oneself to just one genre. Music is more than just a reflection of your interests, but it's a reflection of your personality… and your soul, even."

I felt a lump rise in my throat. Edward Cullen could be _deep_.

"I agree," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

I turned onto the road which he had informed me his house was located on at that point.

"Its still about five miles away," he informed me.

"Alright," I nodded. "Let me know when we're getting close."

He nodded his agreement and then turned his body in his seat so that he was facing me. He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Uh… Thanks, Bella."

"For what?" I frowned.

"Well, for being so cool about all of this," He gestured blindly with his hands. "And… thanks for not telling your dad that I was drinking."

"I figured you had enough problems." I shrugged.

"That's just it, though. You didn't have to do that. I mean… it's no mystery that I haven't been very friendly towards you in the past.."

I small chuckle escaped my lips before I could stop it.

"Yeah, okay… so I didn't really even know you existed. That's my point though. You really don't have to be so nice to me. I don't deserve it."

I shrugged again.

"I owe you one," he concluded.

"You don't owe me anything." I shook my head. "I didn't do any of that expecting a payback of any sort. Really. It's not a big deal."

He seemed like he had more to add, but his thoughts were pushed aside as his driveway approached. "Right here," he pointed to the left side of the road and I slowed down and turned where he pointed.

He didn't say anything else as we slowed to a halt in front of his home. It was, as I expected, an impressive house. It was large and the walls seemed to be made of glass more than any other type of building material. I could see a large portion of the inside of the house due to the open view through the windows - or, walls, rather. The lights were still on and as soon as my truck appeared, so did three figures standing in the window, watching.

"This ought to be fun," he winced as he unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the truck.

He turned back for a second before closing the door and tapped his hand on the frame of the truck, considering what to say.

"Thanks, again. I guess I'll see you in school."

I chuckled again thinking that it was very unlikely that he would actually _see_ me, but nodded anyways.

He started to shut the door, but I quickly stopped him.

"Edward?" He stuck his head back in the door. "Oh… um," I muttered lamely. "You're welcome."

This time, he chuckled. He flashed me a brilliant and heart stopping smile quickly before disappearing.

I took a deep breath and shook my head quickly, clearing my thoughts before turning and heading back to the road. I reached for the volume knob to turn the music up and found that the song playing now was called 'Wonderful Surprise' by Shawn Hlookoff. I let out a long sigh as I listened to the chorus of the song. Was it just coincidence that at every moment of depth and meaning in my life the song that would play would be so ironically fitting that it was almost impossible to consider it as such?

I tried not to focus on the words of the song, but instead focus on the other vehicles I passed on the road. There weren't many of them, but those that there were, I was almost certain, must have been coming from Tanya's party. Forks was essentially dead at this hour. The only people caught driving now would be young teens returning from a party… or an accident with a handsome stranger.

I shook my head again in an attempt to dispel some of the ridiculous thoughts clouding my head. I had made a complete idiot out of myself several times tonight. Though I was trying to be as smooth as I could, falling asleep on his shoulder and confronting him about drinking and driving didn't exactly fall under the heading of 'cool'. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Despite my desire to get to know Edward Cullen better, I was almost certain that we would never speak again. He hadn't noticed me before, and I'm sure he wouldn't now. Even if for some insane reason he did notice me, I was almost positive that Tanya or Rosalie or someone that he considered his friend would be quick to inform him of just how lame Isabella Swan really was. Maybe it was better that he hadn't noticed me before. Now, all he would see when he looked at me was how much other students avoided me.

How did I feel when I realized that it was Edward Cullen who had smashed into me on a deserted road at 12:30 in the morning? I was terrified. It was _Edward Cullen_ for Christ's sake! I had a fear of embarrassing myself before, but to embarrass myself in front of him would be something altogether horrifying. I had doubted he even knew that I existed, and as it turned out, I was very much correct…

"_I can't help feeling like I've seen you before._"

I chuckled to myself as I recalled that conversation. I had known who he was from the moment I saw his silver Volvo coming around the corner. How many times had I overheard girls talking amongst themselves about their secret fantasies involving the backseat of that very Volvo and a severe lack of clothing -- I couldn't even estimate. From the second I saw the vehicle, I knew it was him… but not even after twenty minutes of conversation did he have even an inkling of who I was.

He would probably not even remember my name by tomorrow, I reasoned with myself. I decided at that moment to just put Edward Cullen out of my mind completely. There was no point in my dwelling.

That was the first night I dreamt of Edward Cullen.

I awoke in a cold sweat at 7:35 AM. My heart beat was wild and my breath was coming in short, uneven gasps. It was one of those dreams where the details become fuzzy almost the instant you come back into consciousness, but I remembered the face of the person I was dreaming about clearly. I remembered the eyes, especially. Those vivid green eyes that held so much more depth than you would expect. The hair was clearly visible to me too. Bronze, untidy waves gelled into a messy perfection. And the smell of him was so enticing…so appealing.

Could you really smell things in your dreams?

No. It must have just been my memory… or worse, my imagination.

Still, why was my imagination conjuring up imperfect, but still beautiful, images of Edward Cullen?

I shook my head a little and lay back onto my pillows, tossing and turning several times in an attempt to fall back to sleep. After the clock read 8 AM, I finally gave up.

I tossed the blankets away from my body and swung my legs over the side of the bed, making sure that they were both planted firmly on the ground before I tried to stand up. Yawning, I gathered my bag of toiletries and shower supplies and clothes out of my closet and shuffled into the bathroom.

I showered in a haze, still not completely ready to become coherent. I let my eyes close and I felt my muscles relax substantially as the hot water from the shower dealt with the knots in my back and neck. If the water hadn't run out twenty minutes later, I very well could have stayed there for an hour. I toweled my hair haphazardly and brushed my teeth before getting dressed and heading downstairs to start cooking breakfast.

I had been in bed by the time Charlie had returned home. I remembered hearing him climb the stairs, skipping the third stair from the top that always squeaked, and opening my door slightly to make sure I was in bed. I remembered then hearing him warm up a bowl of soup and turn on the TV in the living room. I did not, however, remember hearing him go to bed. At first I figured that the reason for that was simply because I had fallen asleep, but I realized, as I descended the stairs, that it could have instead been because he had never made it up the stairs. I rolled my eyes as the TV came into view, still on and playing sports highlights in very minimal volume. Charlie was sitting in his chair with a beer bottle and soup bowl discarded on the table beside him. The remote control was still in his hand.

Quietly, I picked up the soup bowl and set it in the sink and put the empty bottle in the bag beneath the sink for recycling, noting that it was nearly full. I grabbed a quilt from the back of the couch and carefully covered Charlie. I gently pried the remote out from under his fingers, relieved that I remembered to put the batteries back in it the night before, and pressed the power button. He stirred suddenly, opening his eye a tiny bit and groaning as he saw me.

"You fell asleep in the chair again," I said softly.

"Mmm," he grumbled. "Just leave me here. Wake me up in the morning when you get up." His words were garbled, but I understood them.

"Okay," I chuckled, not finding it necessary to mention that it was already morning. I figured the smell of bacon would wake him up in due time.

I set to work as I usually did on Saturday mornings. I started the coffee first. I didn't really drink a lot of coffee, but Charlie did. I opened a package of bacon and let it start cooking as I washed the dishes from the previous night. Shortly before the bacon was done cooking, I took out another pan and began frying four eggs as I placed two pieces of toast in the toaster oven. Just as I had expected, Charlie came stumbling into the kitchen, wiping the sleep from his eyes just as I placed the plates onto the table. "Good Morning, Bells," he greeted groggily as he stretched into his usual chair.

"Good Morning," I echoed, pouring a cup of coffee and setting it in front of him.

"Thanks," he mumbled through a yawn. "Smells good."

I smiled slightly and sat down at my chair after pouring myself a glass of orange juice.

The relationship between Charlie and myself had always been awkward, to say the least. Neither of us was really very good when it came to showing affection or dependence. We kept to ourselves most of the time, and all conversations were kept simple and spoken in the least words possible. Though we weren't forthcoming about it, we id each have our subtle ways to let the other know we cared. I took care of Charlie the best I could. Little things like cooking for him and doing laundry and cleaning. All of these things I expected he would have learned to do when my mother, Renee, had left Forks, but I was quickly proved wrong when I had moved back here two years ago. He survived mostly by ordering out or making himself a usual at the local diner. His laundry habits were almost comical. For the last 16 years it seemed he had been putting all of his clothing in the same load and considering it a conspiracy of sorts when his white t-shirts turned pink.

It wasn't as if I was unused to caring for a parent. I had lived most of my life caring for my scatterbrained and crazy mother, Renee. She wasn't completely helpless. She knew how to do the basics like cooking, cleaning, and laundry, but she was very forgetful. I was constantly reminding her to pay the phone bill or pick up the mail and the dry cleaning. I used to think that she would forget to change out of her pajamas in the morning if I wasn't there to help her along -- things changed when she met Phil.

Phil was really a great guy, and he was perfect for my mom. He took care of her in the ways that I couldn't, and the ways that I had made a habit of in the 16 years of my life. Renee was noticeably happier with Phil, too. That's not to say that she had ever been unhappy before. She was always jumping from man to man, losing interest in them too quickly for any degree of permanence. I was honestly relieved when Phil came along. She needed some form of consistency in her life other than me. The only drawback of having Phil as a stepfather, though, was his career. He moved around a lot, and Renee was completely thrilled to jump into that new lifestyle. I could tell how much she loved Phil, and I could see the huge sacrifice behind her unconvincing enthusiasm when she said that she would stay behind with me for two years so that I could finish High School without moving all over the place. As much as I loved my mother and didn't want to be without her, I couldn't let her make that huge of a sacrifice for me. She needed to get her fair chance at a happy newlywed lifestyle, and I was the only thing standing in the middle of her and that experience. I was actually very shocked when she finally agreed to letting me move to Forks. Normally she could see through my lies, but I was determined to go, so maybe she could see that too.

I had honestly expected that Forks would be much worse than what it was. I hated the constant rain and the cold. But everything else I had gotten used to. My dad had given me the truck when I first arrived, which drastically brightened my outlook. As second-hand as it was, I loved the truck. It had character. It was different. I got used to school in Forks, though I didn't like it very much at first. I had had many more friends in Phoenix, but for some reason I didn't feel it necessary to have friends here. I knew that I would only be here for two years, so friends were not something that I needed to waste my attention on. I figured it would be best if I just focused on my grades in order to get a good enough scholarship and skip this town the first chance I had.

It wasn't as if I had no friends, though. I did have one. He was actually an acquaintance that had been forced upon me when I used to spend two weeks with my dad every summer. Charlie's best friend's name was Billy Black, and his son, Jacob, was everywhere he was. Billy and Jacob lived out in La Push in an Indian reservation. Jacob had made it a point to rekindle our friendship the moment I moved back to Forks. At first I was a little uncertain about him, but soon I realized that it was nice to have someone to talk to. Jacob went to school on the reservation too, though, so I only got to see him when he visited or talk to him on the phone. He was a little bit younger than I was, but he was still fun to spend time with. He had the kind of personality where he was all smiles all the time and he could always make me laugh.

"Isn't there a game on tonight?" I asked suddenly.

"What is today? Saturday? Yeah, there's a Mariners game on tonight." Charlie replied around a mouthful of bacon. "Why?"

"I was just thinking about Billy and Jacob and how we haven't seen them around in a while." I shrugged honestly.

"You're right. Billy's had that flu virus last weekend, and the weekend before that Jacob had strep throat. Have you talked to Jake lately?"

"No, he sent me an email that I saw last night that I didn't read yet."

"I'll give Billy a call and see what they're up to tonight." He nodded.

With the matter settled, I stood from the table and cleared my plate. Routinely, I went to the front door and slipped on my boots. The newspaper was closer today than it normally was. I brought it back in the house and set it on the table for Charlie before taking his empty plate and clearing it for him.

"Thanks, Bells. You know, you spoil me too much."

I smiled and shook my head as I washed the dishes and put them away before running up the stairs to get my homework out of my backpack. I stopped short of reaching my backpack, though, when I remembered the email I had been too tired to read last night. I crossed to my desk and opened the lid on my new laptop that Renee had sent me for my birthday. She was not at all discreet about her distaste for the computer I had been previously supplied with. It was ancient, to put it kindly, and she was impatient. She liked me to respond to her emails right away, and the excuse of a slow computer was never much to her liking.

--

_Hey Bells,_

_I'm sorry I've been so out of touch lately. I haven't had much internet access and I lost my cell phone. I've had a tough week at school, too. Tons of tests. _

_How are you? How did that math test you were worried about go? I feel so behind on everything. I'm going to call as soon as I get a new phone. _

_By the way, I have a bunch of new music to put on your iPod. I know how much you love my music. :D_

_Love ya, Bells. Talk to you soon!_

--

I pressed the reply button and watched as the computer loaded the new page almost instantly. Making a personal note to thank Renee for the new computer, I began my message to Jake.

--

_Hi Jake, _

_I am not going to answer your questions through email because I'm pretty sure Charlie is going to invite you and Billy over here to watch the game tonight. We can catch up then. I agree it seems like it's been forever since I've talked to you. A lot has happened. _

_Hopefully I'll see you tonight._

_Bella._

--

I opened up another new message screen to send to Renee.

--

_Hey Mom, _

_Thanks again for the new computer. I love it. It's great to be able to send an email in less than 2 hours. _

_I miss you. I hope the weather is good in Florida. I'll call tomorrow._

_I love you. _

_Bella._

_--_

After I had sent the emails, I closed the computer and grabbed by backpack from the foot of the bed. I made it down the stairs just in time to hear the end of Charlie's conversation with Billy on the phone.

"That sounds great, Billy, I'll see you at six, then."

I took my seat at the table again and began pulling out my school books as Charlie hung the phone up.

"That was Billy. He said they'll come over at six."

I nodded my head as if I hadn't already gathered that information from the last of his conversation. Charlie shook open the paper in front of him and started reading as I began to work on my English assignment on the works of Robert Frost.

------------------------------------------------

6 o' clock rolled around quickly. I had made turkey sandwiches for lunch and then taken a nap before waking up and starting on supper. Charlie had run out to the grocery store in my absence and picked up steak and potatoes. Not my favorite food, but it was his.

I was just finishing up the steaks when Jacob and Billy arrived. I heard the heavy clunk of Billy's wheelchair as Jacob toted him up the stairs.

Charlie rushed to the door and opened it, helping Jacob pull Billy up the last of the stairs. "Hey, hey!" He greeted with an almost audible smile. I turned the stove off quickly and put the rest of the steaks on the platter before wiping off my hands and walking over to the doorway where Jacob and Billy were removing their rain drenched jackets.

"Bells!" Jacob smiled.

"Hey, Jake," I smiled back. "Hi Billy."

"Hey there, Bella," Billy greeted. "Something smells good."

"Bells has been cooking all day." Charlie grinned.

"Steak?" Jacob grinned approvingly, peeking around the corner.

"Mmm, yeah," I nodded, rocking back on my heels a little bit.

We stood silently for a moment before Charlie clapped his hands together and said ,"Well then, let's go get our plates, the game's about to start."

We followed Charlie through the kitchen, each grabbing a plate on our way through and settling into a chair in the living room. I ate quickly, not paying even enough attention to the television to notice what kind of game it was. Jacob followed me into the kitchen with his plate when we were finished and set it in the sink, following my lead.

"I brought some CD's for you," he reminded me.

"Oh yeah, that's right," I nodded. "Hey Charlie.."

"Yeah, Bells?" He said, not breaking his eye contact with the television.

"We're gonna go put some music on my computer," I informed him.

"Oh, okay. See you… yeah.." He was far too immersed in the game to even compose a sentence. I rolled my eyes and jerked my head towards the stairs. Jake quickly followed me.

"Oh! You got a new computer!" he commented as I shut the door behind us.

"Yeah, Renee sent it to me as an early birthday present." I nodded.

"That's going to make uploading these CD's so much easier," he said, producing three CD cases from his sweater pocket.

"What do you have?" I asked, flopping into my computer chair.

"Fall Out Boy, Snow Patrol, and a mixed CD that Quil made me last week," he answered, setting the CD cases on the desk and sitting himself cross legged on my bed.

"Nice." I nodded approvingly, popping the first CD into the computer and pressing the "Rip Songs" button before joining Jacob.

"So, what's new?" I started conversationally.

"Oh… not much, I guess." He shrugged. "I got your email when I was over at Embry's earlier, though. It seems like you have a lot to tell me."

"I've had a crazy couple of days." I nodded.

He stared at me for a moment before bobbing his head expectantly, "Well?"

"I got into an accident yesterday." I informed him, feigning casualty.

"Umm…. Oh my God…." His eyes widened.

"Oh, no worries, the truck is fine," I assured him.

Jacob was the one who had fixed the truck up for me in the first place. It had been Billy's before he had been confined to the wheelchair, and then Jacob had gotten it running before Charlie bought it off of him for my coming-to-Forks gift.

"What happened?" He asked, concern flooding his tone.

"A kid from school… he was dr-… he hydroplaned," I shook my head. "His car is completely totaled, but the truck's a trooper," I smiled.

"It's a Chevy," he shrugged. "Like a rock."

I rolled my eyes and continued, "Anyway, the truck stalled and neither of us had a signal so we had to walk for a long time until I could finally get through to Charlie. You should have seen Charlie when he got there. He went completely over-protective parent on Edward," I chuckled.

"Edward?" Jacob narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly. "Wait, you don't mean… Edward Cullen?"

"Yeah… how do you know him?"

"I don't.. I've heard of him. My dad pretty much hates his dad… I'm not entirely sure why, though," he frowned.

"Oh. That's weird," my brow furrowed in contemplation

"But anyway, so Charlie didn't like him either?"

"No, Charlie was giving him a really hard time."

"Are you…friends with Edward?" Jacob pressed.

"No… not by any stretch of the imagination," I assured him.

The look on his face made it clear that he didn't believe me.

"What?" I shook my head.

"Why do you have that look on your face, then?" He raised an eyebrow.

I checked myself, wiping whatever look he was referring to away and replacing it with confusion, instead.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You had this… look."

"What look? You're insane." I rolled my eyes.

"You like Edward Cullen." It was a stated fact, not a question.

"What?! I do not! I don't even know him."

"You're blushing."

"Shut up."

"Wow, that must have been one hell of a collision."

"Jake, seriously, stop it." I glared at him.

"Are you going to talk to him on Monday?"

"No! Of course not. On Monday, I'm sure, we're just going to go back to pretending the other doesn't exist."

He raised his eyebrow suspiciously.

"Seriously, Jake, he didn't even know that I went to his school. I'm so far out of his league it's not even funny. We live in two completely different worlds."

"And is that a problem?"

"No! Because I don't like him. Yesterday was the first time I've ever even talked to him."

"He must make one hell of a first impression," he grinned.

"Oh my God!" I groaned, pulling a pillow out from behind me and smacking him over the head with it. I got up and crossed to the computer to switch the CD, leaving him consumed by a fit of laughter behind me.

"It's not funny," I grumbled.

"It's hilarious," he argued.

"No."

"You love him."

"I will kick you out."

"You want him."

"Jacob!"

"Oh, on your first date you should wear that blue sweater. That's a good color for you."

"Oh for the love of.." I whirled around and narrowed my eyes at him.

He faked a cringe and winked. "I'm just messing around with you, Bella. I never get anything juicy to pick on you for. You're far too boring for your own good, you know. It's so hard to be friends with you sometimes," he joked.

"Well I don't see you telling me about love interests in your life." I retorted.

He cast his eyes down immediately.

"Oh… no," I shook my head. "You're sitting here picking on me for something that isn't even true when you've got a love interest that you're not telling me about? Spill." I insisted.

"No. It's nothing," he shook his head.

"Jake."

"She doesn't like me back. It's no big deal." He shrugged.

I bit my lip as I caught the sad undertone of his voice. He was really bummed about this girl, whoever she was.

"Maybe you should talk to her about it."

He just shook his head, still looking down.

"Okay…" I said, softening my tone and going back to sit next to him. "I won't make you tell me about it, but I'm here if you want to."

He nodded.

We sat in silence for a moment before an uproar of profanities from downstairs brought us into a fit of laughter.

"That was a shitty call! What the hell is that ref thinking!?" Charlie and Billy's voices were muffled, but their point was clear.

We spent the rest of the night listening to music and talking about school and teachers. He didn't bring up Edward Cullen again, and I didn't bring up his mystery girl.

By the time Billy and Jacob left, I had forgotten about Edward all together. I was so exhausted, despite my afternoon nap, that I fell asleep immediately.

I found, though, as I woke up with my heart racing again at 4 in the morning, that even if Edward wasn't in my conscious thoughts, he was still in my subconscious.

I convinced myself as I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep that the only reason for it was because Jacob had planted the outrageous idea in my head. There was nothing in the world that could make me have these dreams about Edward other than that simple explanation.

…Right?

* * *

I have this story written up through chapter 5, and it's been submitted to my Betas. I am extremely excited about the direction I am taking this, and I hope you will all stick around and bear with me.

music downloads from this fic are located here


	4. Chapter 4

EPOV

She sat alone. How had I never noticed her before? She was seated at the only table that was not entirely full… in fact, it was empty aside from her, and she was beautiful. Not a kind of beauty that would stand out in a crowd, but the kind of beauty that was under appreciated. Like an old painting that was taken for granted. She didn't eat much. She pushed around the salad on her plate indifferently, her sad eyes scanning over the rest of the cafeteria from time to time, lingering on each table as if she was reading its occupants body language like a book. When her eyes scanned across the table I was seated at, though, they darted away almost immediately.

I felt like a stalker.

I moved my eyes quickly down. Had she caught me looking at her? Probably. Slowly I brought my eyes back up until I could see her again. She was looking down at her salad, her bottom lip caught between her perfect teeth in a thoughtful pose.

"Edward!"

I snapped my eyes away from Bella and onto the source of distraction. Tanya's face contorted into a look of disbelief as she realized that I hadn't been listening to a word she had said.

"What?" I said blandly.

"Were you even listening?"

"No."

"I said… shit, I can't believe I'm going to say this again. I said I'm sorry," she rolled her eyes distastefully as she repeated the words.

"Oh," I said indifferently.

"Oh?" Her eyes narrowed as she regarded me incredulously. "I'm apologizing, and all you can say is _Oh_?"

I shrugged, shaking my head a little to further portray my lack of interest. I noticed then that the rest of the table had fallen silent and everyone else was listening to our conversation.

"Edward… I never apologize to _anyone_!" Tanya's perfectly manicured brow was pulled down in honest confusion over her wide eyes.

I chuckled, "Am I supposed to feel special?"

"I…" Her mouth hung open as she stared at me. "I can't believe like you're acting like this is so… so…" she searched for a word.

"Trivial," Irina suggested from the left of her.

"Trivial!" Tanya finished her sentence as if she had thought of it herself.

"Do you even know what that word means?" I stared back at her cavalierly.

"Don't change the subject," she snapped.

"Tanya, your apology isn't necessary, I'm over it."

"Over it?" She echoed, horrified. "Well, what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means don't worry about it, Tanya. It's fine."

"Well you didn't seem fine Friday night when you stormed out of my house.."

"How was I supposed to react to my date making out with someone she didn't even want to invite to the party while I was off getting her drinks?" I cocked my head to the side in an almost cocky manner, feigning interest.

"Well… yeah. But.." she stammered. "I mean, we can work this out, right?"

I smirked a little, shaking my head, "Work what out?"

"Us!" She looked appalled at my lack of interest. "I thought we had something.."

"In the whole three hours you spent having me follow you around at your house, we had something?"

"No.. not just then. We've always had this… chemistry," she raised an eyebrow, relaxing into her seductress mode. "I know you've always been attracted to me."

Alice snorted somewhere to my right and Emmett let out a cough that sounded almost like a laugh.

Maybe Bella was right. What _did_ I ever see in her?

I leaned forward, placing my palms on the table and meeting her eye contact.

"I told you, I'm over it."

Her eyebrow shot up again, but this time it was out of a vicious glare rather than her attempt at sweet-talking me. "Oh really? I find it hard to believe that you could be over a crush you've had for five years in just a matter of three days," she smirked.

"I met someone new," I shrugged, shocking myself with my own words.

"You…" she stopped short, her face contorting several times as she blinked furiously. "What?"

"I met someone else. My affections were ill placed before, it turns out."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't pretend to be so hurt. It's not as if my lack of interest in you is going to really set you back. You can, and _have_ had every guy in this school that you want."

She was silent then for a moment before - "Who is she?"

"None of your business, Tanya."

"What's her name?" she insisted.

I was about to retort with a response as similarly unhelpful as my last when the bell rang, cutting me off. I knew she wasn't done with the subject, but it would be much easier to avoid in a classroom setting.

I stood up immediately, not giving her the chance to speak again. A sense of dread filled me as I realized what the next class period was.

Navy bean counting.

Super.

I found myself scanning the surging crowd of students for a glimpse of Bella as I made my way to my locker and then to Mr. Banner's classroom. I didn't see her until I stepped into the room. She was already in her seat, staring down at her table in silence.

"Take your seats please, you have another ten thousand beans to count out today for your lab tomorrow," Mr. Banner mumbled as students piled into the room one by one.

"Or fourteen thousand, if you're me." I rolled my eyes.

Tanya walked into the classroom just moments before the bell rang again and took a very stiff seat next to me, glaring at me out of the corner of her eye. I'm sure if Mr. Banner wasn't explaining that we were counting out jelly beans today instead of navy beans and the reasoning behind that, she would be talking my ear off in tones that would probably not have been very pleasant. Once Mr. Banner stopped talking, though, I knew there would be nothing left for me but to ignore her.

If only it would have been that easy.

"Who is she?" she hissed as Mr. Banner had waved us on to do our work and seated himself to grade some papers.

I locked my jaw and ignored her, standing up and gathering the beans and jars from the cabinet. I was so occupied with my frustrations toward Tanya that I accidentally bumped into another student on my way back from the cabinet.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't see you the-" I started impulsively, stopping short when I realized that it had been Bella who I had bumped into. "Sorry," I said again quickly.

She smiled shyly, meeting my eyes for the tiniest of seconds before walking around me and taking her seat. Other than that small smile, though, she barely even acknowledged me. I didn't exactly blame her for that. I _had_ just admitted to not seeing her for the second time in the short amount of time I had known her.

Real smooth, Edward.

Cursing myself silently, I returned to my seat to find that Tanya had constructed an entire lecture in my 30 second absence.

"Honestly, Edward, there is no reason for you to be such a dick about this. I'm trying to be nice and pretend… I mean, I'm trying to show my interest in your new romantic… crush… thingy, and you're completely blowing me off!"

"Yeah, you would know all about blowing people off," I mumbled under my breath.

"Excuse me?" she said sharply.

"What?" I said, simulating confusion.

"Why are you being such a dick?" she repeated bitingly.

"Maybe I just pay attention to your preferences," I smirked as I said it, half-hoping she would catch my intended meaning. She didn't.

"What are you talking about?" she shook her head.

"I have to do our lab work now, Tanya, so if you wouldn't mind shutting up so that I can count in peace, that would be great."

"I'm not done-"

"Or maybe you would even like to contribute and help me out. This is your grade too, you know.."

"No, Edward. We aren't done with this con-"

"Is that a split end?" I said sarcastically.

"Where?" Concern shot across her face as she began studiously observing the ends of her perfectly groomed hair.

I smirked to myself as I turned my attention away from Tanya. That should buy me at least three thousand beans worth of time.

A light chuckle from behind me prompted me to turn my head slightly and seek out the source. Bella ducked her head down and pretended to be very focused on counting a moment too late. I had seen her watching me. For some reason, I had a very different reaction than the way one would normally react to being eavesdropped upon. I was happy. It meant that she wasn't completely ignoring me. She was… interested, at least.

I shook my head a little and glance back at Tanya who was picking apart individual strands of her hair and examining them intently, a frown covering her face.

Triumphantly, I began counting beans.

----

I just barely managed to finish counting out the jelly beans before the bell signaled the end of class period. Bella was out the door before I had even grabbed my books. Tanya was right behind me, taking advantage of the bell to try to start up a new conversation.

"Hey, what are you doing this Friday?" she started, jogging a little to keep up with my long strides.

"I'm busy."

"Doing what?"

I ignored her.

"Are you going to be hanging out with this girl?"

I ignored her again.

"Who is she? Come on, tell me."

"Why do you want to know?" I huffed angrily, turning out of the doorway toward my locker.

"Because…" she shook her head as if that were all the justification necessary.

"It doesn't matter."

"You like her, though, so she obviously matters at least a little bit."

"Did I say that I liked her?"

"Well… you implied it," she reasoned.

"I implied that I met someone that I liked better than you. At this point, most of the student population fits that category," I snapped, my aggravation starting to cause an unnecessary temper.

"I thought you said you were over it!" she mocked.

"I am. That doesn't mean I have to be happy about it." I quickly put the combination into my locker and opened it so that the door was positioned between Tanya's head and my own. I gathered the books for my next class and shut the door to find a nearly furious looking Tanya.

"Don't frown so much, it causes premature age lines," I suggested, turning and walking away from her, intent on taking the long way to class if it meant avoiding Tanya.

"Ugh!" I heard her exclaim behind me before the steady noise of her heels vanished among the noise in the hallway.

I didn't have anymore classes with Tanya before the end of the day, so if I was lucky, I could just avoid her.

As interested as I may have been in the calculus lesson that afternoon, I couldn't have focused on it if I wanted to. For some reason, all I could think about was Bella.

What I said to Tanya earlier kept playing through my mind.

_My affections were ill-placed before, it turns out._

And what of my affections now? Were they existent at all? If so, were they directed towards Bella? How could I like her after meeting her once? That could barely have been enough to determine who she was and what kind of a friend she would be. I didn't know anything about this Isabella Swan except for that she was the police chiefs daughter, she worked at the library, she was an overcautious driver, she had trouble maneuvering a flat surface with her feet, she blushed often, she was very observant…

…and apparently I was more observant than I thought I was as well.

In my experience, though, I only ever paid attention to things if I found them particularly interesting. This calculus lesson, for example, was not very interesting at all to me, which resulted in me daydreaming about conflicting topics. Did that mean that I was… _interested_ in Bella Swan?

Of course not. That's absurd.

But I realized as I walked back to my locker after I had neglected to take a single note through the last two classes of the day that I would never be able to determine how I felt toward Bella Swan until I interacted with her again. I had no idea if she would go for that, though. I didn't know how open she was toward caffeine at all, let alone another correspondence with me. I was not going to be as vain as to believe that she would automatically be swooning for the opportunity to have coffee with me. She was very unpredictable in that way. She was very unlike the rest of the girls in the school. Maybe that in itself was what drew me to her.

It would be nearly impossible to catch her to ask her to have coffee with me, though. She was very stealthy in the hallways. She never made herself easily accessible.

"_I'll just pick up my own set of house keys Monday after school. I have to work until 6, then."_ She had explained to Charlie after asking for his house key. I would go visit her at the Library.

"I am such a creeper," I mumbled to myself as I walked out into the parking lot, scanning the crowd for Alice and forcing myself not to look for Bella at the same time. Alice was just getting into her bright yellow Porsche when I spotted her. It was hard to miss that thing. It stood out quite vividly among the rusted hand-me-down vehicles that most students of Forks High owned. Alice was giving me a ride to the auto-shop where I would be picking up the contents of my late Volvo. We had full coverage, so Carlisle planned on taking me to find a new one as soon as we came back from this weeks planned camping trip.

Luckily for me, they weren't mad at me for totaling my car. I had a relatively clean record when it came to driving. A few speeding tickets here and there, but nothing drastic. Alice promised them that I hadn't been drinking, making her the second person to lie on my behalf in the span of one night. Esme was too relieved that I was alive after I told her about the damage to be angry with me. It was a simple case of hydroplaning. No questions asked.

"Ready?" Alice chirped as I slid into the passenger seat of her car.

"Sure," I mumbled indifferently, reaching for the seatbelt. Alice sped out of the parking lot at dangerous speeds. It didn't shock me. Both Alice and myself had always had a tendency to speed behind the wheel of a vehicle, and until now, I hadn't been uncomfortable with it.

"You're going a little fast, don't you think?" I commented.

"Oh please. One accident and suddenly you're an advocate for safe driving?" she rolled her eyes.

I didn't respond.

"Besides," she continued. "It's not speed that kills you. Suddenly becoming stationary, that's the real killer.."

"Where the hell did you hear that?" I shook my head in amazement at my overzealous and crazy sibling.

"I don't remember. I read it online somewhere…" she shrugged. "Now, what auto-shop is your car at? Or, sorry… your _ex_-car?"

"That's not funny. It's the one on Main Street," I directed, not remembering the name exactly, though I remembered it was an over used male name.

"Al's?"

"Yeah, that one."

"Kay," she sighed. "Oh! I like this song!"

She cranked the music up to an almost deafening volume and danced, or rather, wiggled hazardously in her seat while the vehicle weaved slightly around on the road as she sang , "Just dance, gunna be okay, da-da-doo-doo-mmm, just dance, spin that record babe…"

It amazed me that she had went her entire life without a ticket. Somehow, even with distractions like music and putting on makeup in her mirror, she always saw the cops before they saw her. It was one of the many things about Alice that completely baffled me.

"Thanks," I said loudly, forcing my voice over the steady beat of the music as we pulled into the parking lot of _Al's Auto-Shop_.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Get out. Jasper's parents are out of town and I'm late. I was supposed to meet him there to hang out right after school," she said anxiously, throwing my backpack towards me as I climbed out of the car.

"Use a condom," I smirked.

"Can I borrow one? God knows _you_ never use yours."

"Shut up," I grumbled, annoyed that she always came back with a better comment when I was trying to make fun of her. I might be able to make fun of her height, but she never missed a jab at my virginity. Thankfully, though, she never mentioned it in school. I would never live it down if Tanya or Rosalie or any of my other friends found out that Edward Cullen was a virgin.

I rolled my eyes as I slammed the door shut and watched her speed away.

It wasn't as if I hadn't had plenty of opportunities to have sex, I just never liked any of the girls enough to go through all the trouble of finding privacy and providing precautions. Plus, most of the girls I had dated would have laughed their asses off if they found out that I was a virgin. No one expected it of me for some reason. It was a hard façade to maintain. Most of the time when anyone started up a conversation about sex around me, I just had to pretend like I knew what they were talking about from experience rather than from listening to their endless stories. If that got out, I would be chastised endlessly until the end of my life.

I shook my head, dispelling the irritating thoughts as I turned toward the main building and made my way to the glass door. An irritating bell chimed overhead as I entered, beckoning a large, balding man to come to the front desk. A cloud of smoke dispersing through the air around him suggested that I had just interrupted a cigarette break.

"Can I help you?" he said unenthusiastically, his tone alluded to a very low level of patience and a very high anxiety level. Probably from tobacco cravings, I decided.

"Yeah, I'm here to pick up the contents of the 2005 Volvo.." I replied.

"Oh, right. One sec.." he disappeared into a door and returned a moment later carrying a cardboard box. He set it on the table without any consideration for any fragile contents and produced a piece of paper from beneath the counter.

"Sign here, and here," he directed, handing me a pen which's cap I noticed appeared to be thoroughly chewed on.

Gulping down my discomfort, I signed the paper quickly and returned the pen to the man.

"Have a nice day, Mr. Cullen, and thank you for choosing Al's," he grumbled mechanically before turning and disappearing into the back room again, issuing a single smokers cough as he did so.

Grimacing, I grabbed the box and walked out of the shop. I opened it quickly to fish out my cell phone. I pulled the extra battery that I had brought from home out of my pocket and replaced the dead one, feeling an odd sense of completion as the phone lit up. I scrolled mindlessly through several texts from Tanya and a few from Esme and Alice before pocketing it and setting off down the street towards the library.

I didn't even bother looking at what else was in the box. The only thing I needed right now was my phone. Esme was going to call me on her way home and pick me up from wherever I was at the time. Alice had agreed to take me to the auto-shop, but she was adamant that she had other plans that would not allow her to bring me home. I knew now that those plans most likely involved having sex with Jasper. I cringed internally at the thought. She wasn't much younger, and she was technically my cousin, but still, for all intents and purposes, she was my younger sister. Her mom and dad, my aunt and uncle, were in a car accident when she was only one month old and Esme and Carlisle, being the compassionate people they were, took her in with no question. Alice had grown up calling them mom and dad because, to her, they were the only family she had ever gotten the chance to know. We were only born eight and a half months apart, so we started school at the same time and were in the same grade, but it was still uncomfortable for me to think about her having sex. Jasper was one of my best friends before she started dating him, though, so I knew she was safe with him. She loved him and he loved her, which was the best scenario I could think of. There was no doubt in my mind that it wouldn't be too long after graduation when Jasper would propose to her. It was a forgone conclusion at this point. They were inseparable. There wasn't a fight in the world that they couldn't solve through sex or simple conversation and negotiation.

Compared to Alice, I was pretty damn slow. I was a nearly nineteen year old virgin who hadn't had a girlfriend longer than 5 months that wasn't cheating on me and she was an eighteen year old beauty with a boyfriend that adored her and her entire life planned out already. Me, I didn't even know what I wanted to study in college, let alone where I wanted to go. And now, as if I couldn't get more pathetic, I was practically stalking a girl that I was certain wanted nothing to do with me.

I was shocked to realize that I had already walked the 5 block distance to the library and I now stood facing its brick archway and large glass doors.

Knowing that if I waited another minute I would most likely chicken out, I gulped down my uncertainty and took several steps forward, pressing the metal bar and opening the door. The air was cool and crisp inside the library. It had the comforting scent of new books and a slight hint of windex. There didn't appear to be anyone else there at the moment. I didn't see anyone at the counter, either. Slowly, I made my way to the first row of books and pretended to browse through them as I waited for some sign of Bella.

The sign I was looking for came sooner than I expected.

I had only been standing in the aisle for about 12 seconds when Bella came around the corner, her attention focused on several books in her hands. She pointed her index finger absently as she read the labels on the shelves before sliding one of the books back into place.

"Oh!" she gasped as she noticed me standing several paces away from her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," I apologized quickly.

"No it's fine… what are you doing here?" she bit her lip, confusion crossing her face.

"Oh, you know… looking for a book…" _Coward,_ I thought bitingly toward myself.

"… Really? Are you sure that's what you're doing here?" she said, more confusion tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Well… isn't that what you normally do at a library?" I defended myself weakly.

"Usually… but I really don't think you're here for books," she accused politely.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

She chuckled once, her gaze falling to the ground for a brief moment before she replied, "We're in the pregnancy and home birth aisle."

I jerked my head to the side and scanned across several books about lamaz before scowling angrily to myself. Plot foiled.

"So maybe I'm not here looking for books."

"I figured as much," she said softly, still looking down.

"So… maybe I was here looking for you."

"Why?"

"To thank you… again. And to apologize. And… I don't know. I'm without a vehicle and I just picked up the stuff from my Volvo and I'm waiting for a ride and… I guess I was bored, maybe." I felt like such an idiot. Nothing was coming out right, I was making a huge fool out of myself. Why was I so nervous to talk to her, suddenly. Who was she to intimidate Edward Cullen? She wasn't that special…

But I knew that I was lying to myself. She was special. That's why I was rambling on like an incoherent fool. She was different and for some reason, I liked her.

"You don't need to thank me, or apologize. It's fine, really," she bit down on her lip again.

"I was also… wondering…" I stammered. "If maybe you would like to have coffee sometime. My treat. Really, it's the least I can do."

She gulped. Her eyes slowly rose up until they met mine again. I felt my knees weaken. "Coffee?" she echoed incredulously.

"Yeah… that is, if you drink coffee."

"I.. yeah, sometimes," she admitted.

"Great, we'll go get coffee then," I nodded lamely.

"When?" she shook her head.

"Oh… when do you get off of work?"

"Not until 6."

"Oh, well, probably not today then," I frowned. "Oh, hang on a second." I dug into my pocket for my vibrating cell phone.

"Hello?" I said quietly, remembering that I was in a library where silence was appreciated.

"Hey, good, you got your phone on," Esme's voice sounded on the other end. "Where are you at right now, I'm almost into town."

"Oh, I'm… uh, at the library."

"The library?" she asked in near disbelief. Esme and Carlisle had never denied us books. They purchased Alice and I whatever books we could have wanted without question, so it was no mystery why Esme was so shocked that I was in a library.

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'll be there in two minutes…" And then the line fell silent. I pocketed the phone and looked back up to see that Bella had put the last of the books away on the shelf as I had been otherwise occupied.

"I've got to go," I supplied.

"Oh," she nodded her head once very slowly. "Okay.."

"So… I'll, uh.. I'll see you in school," I shrugged, edging around her and making my way back towards the door.

"Bye," she said quietly.

I turned to make a dash for the exit and ran straight into a bookcase. Thankfully, the bookcase was sturdy enough to not come crashing down. The box of things from my Volvo that I was still holding, however, fell to the ground. The cardboard gave away on impact, leaving the box wide open and the contents scattered haphazardly around the pregnancy and home birth aisle.

"Damn it," I muttered, kneeling down to collect everything back into the box, more embarrassed now than I ever remembered being.

Bella didn't laugh at me. She knelt down beside me and helped me pick up the mess of papers and random objects and put them back into the box.

"Thanks," I said, standing back up and tucking the box securely under my arm.

"No problem," she nodded.

"Bye," I said again, turning with much more caution to make my way towards the exit.

"Bye," I heard her echo behind me.

I felt like the worlds biggest idiot as I exited the library.

"Isn't that what you normally do at the library?" I repeated my earlier words sarcastically to myself as I walked towards Esme's Buick. "Idiot."

"Hey baby," my mother smiled lovingly at me as I slid into the car. As pathetic as it sounded, it was always a comfort to know that no matter how big a fool I made of myself, my mom would always be there for me. Although I was old enough now that she really should not be calling me "baby" anymore…

"Hey," I said glumly, slamming the door and buckling my seatbelt.

"What were you doing at the library?" she asked casually as she pulled away from the curb and out onto the road.

"I was talking to a friend…" I said hesitantly.

I could tell by her sudden frown that she was thinking the same thing I was. Yeah right, Edward, you don't have friends that are smart enough or desperate enough to go to the library.

"What friend?"

"Well… I don't know if you would call her a friend," I admitted.

"Oh! Her!" Esme grinned, shooting me a glance.

"She was the one that I got in the accident with.." I explained.

"Oh, that's why that truck out front looked familiar!" she exclaimed to herself.

"Yeah, I just… asked her to have coffee or something as an apology."

"An apology, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure that's all this coffee date is?" Esme smirked knowingly.

"It's not a date, really… and yes.." I insisted.

"You sure did have quite the red face when you stumbled out of that library," she shrugged, the smile still in tact on her face.

Curse parents and their super sensitive powers of knowing. I could never lie convincingly enough to Esme. Alice had it down to a science, but my mom always caught my slight gestures that gave away any hint of dishonesty.

In instances like this… She even seemed to know more about me than I did. She could sense what I had yet to admit to myself. She knew that I liked Isabella Swan in ways that I was unfamiliar with and possibly even a little bit afraid of.

Mothers always knew.

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

Bella's POV.

6:00. The Library had been closed for an hour now and I had run out of books to shelve and surfaces to polish long ago. As soon as the LCD screen on my cell phone read 6:00, I made my way to the back room to gather my coat and house key. There were still two hours before Charlie's shift ended today, so whatever I was going to cook for supper would have to be fast. I walked back out towards the doors, stopping at the security system box on the wall and entering my pin number to set the alarm system. I turned quickly to do one last survey, making sure the computers were all turned off and the carts were all put away. Everything seemed to be in order… except..

Frowning, I left the light switches on and crossed to the end of the pregnancy and home-birth aisle, extending my hand toward the silvery looking square object. An iPod.

_Edward Cullen's iPod._

"Shit." I cussed out loud as I turned it over in my hand. How it got there was clear. He must have missed it when we were putting stuff back into his box. How it would get back to him, however, was not as clear. I would have to give it to him, obviously, which would no doubt involve initiating a conversation with him myself.

It was a shame, really. I was doing such a good job of avoiding him. He, however, seemed to lack the same initiative to avoid me.

His appearance at the library tonight had confirmed that to me, and I was still uncertain as to how to react. I mean, on the one hand, he was a really nice guy as far as I could tell. He seemed to be very genuine and easy to get along with. On the other hand, though, being friends with Edward Cullen came with a whole slew of problems that I was not ready for. I did not want any of the attention that he was subjected to on a normal basis, that was for sure. I didn't do well in the spotlight. I had made enough of a fool of myself through one-on-one conversation with him, I didn't need to display that in front of an audience.

Seeing him at the library tonight made him seem so much more vulnerable than I would have ever imagined. Normally, when one thinks of Edward Cullen, they would think of a strong, fortunate, confident person, and he seemed to be just that when I first met him. But this time was different. He seemed, in an awkward way, nervous. It was hard for me to even fathom someone like him being nervous, but the way he had stumbled over words and tried to excuse his presence as something other than what it really was, it certainly didn't leave an impression of collectedness. And when he had turned to leave, had I imagined his cheeks burning red? I didn't remember, now, I had become distracted when he had run straight into a shelving unit and scattered his possessions all over the floor. I must have been imagining it, though. I was the kind of person who blushed, not him.

In fact, I was blushing right now just from thinking about him.

"Pathetic," I commented to myself, curling my fingers over the iPod and placing it securely in my pocket before turning off the lights and exiting the library.

I forced thoughts of Edward out of my mind by considering what I was going to make for supper that night. Unfortunately for me, it only took about twenty seconds until I decided on baked ziti. It was a relatively quick meal. I could prepare it in ten minutes and have it in the oven and ready for when Charlie walked in the door. Not only was the conclusion of baked ziti inconveniently quick in presenting itself to me, but the process would also be quick. And as I surprisingly lacked homework today, I would be left with a lot of time to think about things that I didn't want to allow myself to think about.

I decided that I would call Jacob to provide a bit of a distraction as soon as I could.

Just as I had predicted, as soon as the ziti was in the oven, my mind immediately shot to the one thing I was trying to avoid. It was how things always worked. Focusing on not thinking about something always made you think about it more. I tried listening to music, but I found that to be counterproductive because the same thought entered my mind as every song ended and a new one began.

_I wonder if this song is on Edward's iPod, too…_

Finally, I decided to retire to my room to await Charlie's arrival. As I entered, I cleaned out the pockets of my jeans like I always did. As soon as my hand found the new iPod, though, there were the thoughts again… haunting me. Scowling, I set the iPod on the desk and flung my backpack into its corner. I took a quick shower and changed into my pajamas early, still toweling my hair as I pressed the power button on my laptop. It was incredible to me how fast it booted up. I checked my mail and found nothing interesting to respond to. My eyes flickered to the mp3 player sitting inches from my keyboard and I felt my fingers twitch. Surely, it wouldn't be that big of a deal if I browsed through his music… right? No. That would be terrible. An invasion of privacy. I couldn't possibly..

Still, I was tempted.

Without thinking, I placed my fingers on the keyboard and typed out the first URL that came to my mind to distract me from the iPod.

Of course, my form of distraction backfired.

The Forks High website was relatively plain. It was like most other high school websites. There were pictures of student activities and extracurriculars, none of which I was featured in due to my excessive reclusive tendencies. I hesitated before clicking on the link labeled "Yearbook", knowing as soon as I did so that I was making a mistake. It was too late, though. I scrolled through the different years and clicked on the one from last year. Alice Cullen and Edward Cullen were both featured on the very first page. I pretended like it was just happenstance that I would come across these pictures, but subconsciously, I knew better. Resigning to my absurd interest, I clicked on Edward's picture, enlarging it and reading the caption below it.

_Edward Anthony Cullen_

_Class of 2008. Honors. _

_Class Vice President._

I couldn't help but notice how attractive he was. His picture was simple. He wasn't smiling over enthusiastically, but he didn't look like he was about to strangle the photographer, either. He looked indifferent. He looked like it was nothing more than an obligation to take a school photo, whereas if you were to look at Tanya's picture, it was clear that she thought that she was doing the photographer a great charity letting him take her photograph. What did Edward ever see in her…

I will admit, I had been a little more entertained than I should have been when I overheard the conversation exchanged between Edward and Tanya in Mr. Banner's classroom today. Of course, I had been thoroughly embarrassed when Edward had caught me looking at him… or at least, I think he caught me. I just couldn't stifle my laughter. Tanya had deserved everything he said, though. If not for the way she treated him at her party, then for the obnoxious questioning she was subjecting him to. "Who is she?", she had kept asking persistently. I was now wondering the same thing, though I would never have been as nosy as she was about it.

The phone rang once, echoing from both the telephone on my desk and the wall mounted phone in the downstairs hallway. I jumped and quickly clicked out of the internet screen as if I was afraid I was going to be caught. I rolled my eyes at my own actions, it wasn't as if I was looking at porn or something.

"Hello," I said into the phone, noticing that my voice sounded a little rushed. Maybe even desperate.

"Bells!" Jacob's familiar and comforting voice presented itself at the other end of the line. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, sure. The phone ringing just kinda scared me, that's all," I shrugged once before realizing the gesture was useless over the phone.

"Oh, okay. How was school?"

"It was… fine, I guess. Boring, as usual. Mr. Banner's rug was positioned slightly off center today," I commented casually.

"That's funny. I have a teacher named Mrs. Cullpepper, and I swear she has fake teeth _and_ a wig. Maybe we should try to get the two of them together."

I chuckled at the idea, "You know, I was actually going to call you in a little bit."

"Oh, what did you need?"

"Nothing… well… remember that conversation we had about Edward Cullen?"

He was silent for a moment, "Yes."

"He showed up in the library today," I informed him.

"Oh… why?" His voice suddenly seemed to be void of the honest intrigue this story should have provoked.

"Umm, I guess he just wanted to invite me to have coffee sometime." I bit my lip, suddenly concerned about his tone.

"What did you say?"

"Well… he sort of left before I could give him an answer. And when I say he left, I mean he turned around and bolted for the exit so quickly that he ran into a shelf of books. I think he assumed that my answer was a yes, though, because I didn't exactly say no."

"I thought you didn't like him, Bella." There was no mistaking the stern edge to his voice now.

"I…. I don't," I insisted. "I was just trying not to be rude. Besides, I thought you found the prospect of me liking Edward hilarious, before," I pointed out.

"That was before I thought anything was going to come of it. I don't like him, Bella. I don't think he's any good for you."

"Geez, Jake, calm down. He asked me to go have coffee with him, not marry him."

"That's not funny," he said pointedly.

"What was I supposed to do?"

"Tell him you didn't like coffee," he suggested.

"I do like coffee though. And do you think he would be deterred just because of my preference against coffee? If it wasn't the coffee, he could have asked me to dinner or something instead!" I pointed out, desperate to make Jacob understand how absurd he was behaving.

"He might have taken the hint, though."

"Jacob, what is the big deal?" I was becoming genuinely hurt then.

"I just… I don't want you to fall for a guy like Edward."

"I don't plan on it, Jake. And besides, what's it to you who I fall for? It's not your place to dictate who I can and can't like."

"I know that, Bella. I'm just saying this as a concerned friend. He could hurt you…"

"So could a hot oven, that doesn't mean I'm going to stop cooking."

He fell silent for a second. "Just… never mind, I guess. You wouldn't understand."

I debated for a moment before asking, "Are you mad at me?"

"No. Of course I'm not mad at you. I'm just concerned about you."

"Well I appreciate that, but I can take care of myself."

"Okay," he sighed, seeming very unconvinced.

We dropped the point after that, but the rest of the conversation had an underlying feeling of discomfort to it, as if we were both walking on eggshells. We discussed the schedule for the next Mariners game, I told him which songs were my favorite of the CDs that he had provided me with on his last visit, and pathetically enough, we discussed the weather. When we had just about strained our capabilities for small talk to their limit, we said our goodbyes.

After I had placed the phone back in its holder I sat back in my computer chair for several moments, considering what had just happened. It had confused me, Jacob's reaction to Edward's offering of coffee. I hadn't thought that it was quite as big of a deal as Jacob seemed to think it was. Maybe for some absurd reason he thought that we were existing in some parallel universe in which Edward Cullen would actually be interested in someone like me. I knew that to an outsider, Edward's offer for coffee might seem like more than just a kind gesture, but I knew better There was no way that he had any interest in me. He just wanted to make sure that he didn't owe me anything. It must have been terrible for him to feel indebted to someone as inconsequential and unimportant as me.

I realized then that I was thinking about him again. I pushed the thoughts away and stood up from the desk to make my way back downstairs. There was no point in me thinking about Edward. I'm certain he wasn't spending his time thinking about me. I needed to stop being so pitiful.

The smell of ziti was prominently wafting through the house as I stepped out into the hallway. Judging by the smell alone, I could tell that it was probably close to being done. I checked the clock as I entered the kitchen, shocked to realize that Charlie would be home within ten minutes. I had been talking to Jake for longer than I thought.

I grabbed the oven mitts and pulled the casserole dish out of the oven, making sure to turn the oven off afterwards. That was something Renee would always forget to do when I was living with her. Charlie would probably forget too if he ever had any motivation to use the oven in the first place. Although, thinking about it now, I probably wouldn't allow him to use the oven even if he suddenly felt inclined to do so. Someone who couldn't do the laundry without tie-dying their underwear could certainly not be trusted to make an oven function properly.

I heard the crunch of gravel outside the house, signifying Charlie's return home. I quickly grabbed two plates out of the cupboard and set them on the table before turning back to the silverware drawer.

"Something smells good, Bells," Charlie smiled as he bustled in the door. I heard him hang up his jacket and his gun belt on the rack by the door before slipping his shoes off and heading straight for the table.

I smiled in response as I set a hot pad on the table and placed the casserole dish of ziti on top of it.

"This is something new," he commented casually.

"It's baked ziti. Renee made it once or twice for me and I figured since we had the ingredients, I would try my hand at it," I informed him.

"Well I have no doubt that it tastes as good as it smells. You've never screwed up a meal, yet."

"Thanks dad," I chuckled.

We ate in relative silence for the next 20 minutes until Charlie began trying to initiate small-talk again. He always tried at least once a day. I gave him props for trying, but he never really did succeed.

"So, anything interesting in…er…school today?" he shrugged, pushing his empty plate away from him and leaning back in his chair, resting his hands contentedly over his stomach.

"Um, no… not really. I got an A on my Calculus exam," I shrugged.

"Well that's good," he nodded affirmatively, "That's good."

I finished eating and stood, collecting Charlie's plate beneath mine to clean off in the sink.

"You seem really happy today," Charlie commented casually.

"Oh… umm… why do you say that?"

He chuckled, "Well, you were smiling at your ziti all through supper."

I checked myself quickly to find that I was, in fact, still smiling. I forced an indifferent façade onto my face and turned around to throw him a brief glance of disbelief before closing the dishwasher.

"I was just a little unsure about whether the ziti would turn out. I guess I'm just glad that it did," I lied. "I'm going to go do some reading."

"Okay, Bells," he nodded, pushing his chair back and retrieving a beer from the refrigerator.

I climbed the stairs at a slightly hurried pace and shut the door tightly behind me as I entered the room. I turned and pressed my back to the weathered wood, letting my head fall backwards with a thud.

_You were smiling at your ziti all through supper._

"Idiot," I accused myself. Why exactly was I smiling. I had just had a semi-argument with my one and only friend. That was certainly nothing to smile about.

I knew, though, as my eyes unwillingly flickered to the computer desk where two iPods sat side-by-side, that my reason for smiling was, albeit foolish, quite obvious.

With a sigh of resignation, I pushed myself away from the door and sunk into my computer chair. I tilted my head to the side and almost glared at the iPod covered in a dark blue case before finally letting out an audible scowl and snatching it up.

One little glance into his play list queue wouldn't hurt anything, right?

It took several moments for me to figure out how to use his iPod. It was different than mine. It was a touch screen version. I navigated into the music section with the intention of simply perusing the play list titles… but that didn't quite work out the way I had planned. My eyes widened as I scanned the long list of play lists. They seemed to be labeled according to mood, genre, and purpose. There was pretty much a list of music for everything imaginable; calm, fun, happy, peaceful, pissed. There were also other ones like "Motivational", and "Homework". He had a play list for homework? I was about to click on that play list when another one caught my attention.

"Classical?" I wrinkled my nose in shock. I pressed my finger to the screen right over that word and was even more shocked at what I found included in that play list.

Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven

Canon in D - Pachelbel

Requiem - Mozart

Marriage of Figaro - Mozart

Nocturne - Chopin

1812 Overture - Tchaikovsky

Claire De Lune - Debussy

The last song I had noticed, _Claire De Lune_, triggered a memory.

"_You listen to Debussy?" Edward asked, cocking his head to the side quizzically. _

"You_ listen to Debussy?" I countered. _

"_I…" he faltered, "sometimes."_

Something else he had said during that night was also tugging at my memories. I couldn't quite recall exactly the words he had spoken, but I did remember that it had made me realize that he was much deeper than I had originally thought.

Dispelling the thoughts with a shake of my head, I went back to explore some other play lists. I browsed through the one titled "Pissed", and found a great deal of angry, blaring music.

I only recognized a few of the songs on that list, though.

Bodies - Drowning Pool; a song that Jacob had put on my iPod. It was actually not that bad considering the violent undertones it had.

Holes -Soil; It used to be on radio stations that Phil would listen to back in Phoenix all the time.

I Hate Everything About You - Three Days Grace; but who, honestly, didn't like Three Days Grace?

One song in the "Pissed" play list, however, intrigued me to the point where further exploration was undoubtedly necessary. The title suggested that the song would be overrun with curse words and violent screaming, but it surprised me when I plugged in the earphones and listened.

The first song was aptly titled "Die Motherf__er, Die" It was blatantly clear what letters belonged in the blank space, but I still had to listen.

A loud laugh escaped me as the song began to play. Instead of the roaring noise of electric guitars as I had expected in the background, the song started with a pleasant acoustic and upbeat sound and carried out that theme throughout the entire song. The lyrics were unquestionably violent in nature, but the music itself was, dare I say, upbeat and enjoyable. It was entirely laughable in the way its message contradicted its tune.

_I want to hurt you_

_Torture then desert you_

_Take a hot poker_

_And stick it where the sun don't shine_

Amused, I pressed the arrow that I assumed would lead to the next song and laughed as I began listening to it. It was very similar to the previous song in its comic value. It was simply titled "Fuck You." and it was by a band I had never heard of before called 'Archive'. I had to give the lead singer props, though. For lyrics like "Pray to God I can think of a nice thing to say, but I don't think I can, so fuck you anyway. You are scum, you are scum…", he sure could sound downright cheery about it.

The song continued to play through the earphones as I went back to the play list menu and selected the one labeled "Fun".

This time, I just barely managed to restrain my laughter.

The first song I saw on the play list was "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" by Whitney Houston. To go from songs about anger and violence to classical music to Whitney Houston was a huge jump. I continued to scroll through the rest of the songs by flicking my finger in downward motions over the screen, frowning in confusion at the one titled "Various Kitchen Utensils", but not stopping to listen.

"Are you kidding me?" I mumbled out loud as I faltered over another song title.

A Whole New World - The Aladdin Soundtrack

Aladdin? Really? As strange as it was to find that song on Edward Cullen's play list, I was almost happy about it. As lame as it may have been considered, I really loved that song.

Smiling again, I clicked on a tab labeled "songs" and found myself face-to-face with every song on the entire iPod. Realizing the sheer amount, I knew I would never be able to look at them all, so I just scrolled through quickly. I noticed that certain songs that I knew stuck out to me more than the others.

Everlong - Foo Fighters

Closer - Kings of Leon

Into the Fire - Thirteen Senses

Iris - Goo Goo Dolls

Feels Like Home - Chantel Krevasiuk

I am a Rock - Simon and Garfunkel

All Fall Down - One Republic

Lucky Today - Cloud Cult

When I Write The Book - Rockpile

I Don't Care - Fall Out Boy

The list went on forever..

Not wanting to run down the battery a noticeable amount, I forced myself to turn the iPod off (which took me several minutes to figure out how to do).

I returned the iPod to my desk and relaxed into the chair again, considering the diversity of Edward's music. It was then that I remembered the quote that I was trying to recall earlier.

"_I don't think it's right to restrict yourself to just one genre. Music is more than just a reflection of your interests, but it's a reflection of your personality… and your soul, even."_

So what did all the music in this iPod say about Edward?

It was clear that there was so much more to him than met the eye. He was everything that I had expected him to be. He was the popular, good-looking, social being that everyone saw in school… but he was more, too. He was troubled, and I would admit that that kind of concerned me. It was not like I was afraid of his darker tendencies. In fact, it was a relief to know that he wasn't the two dimensional person that most clique-oriented homecoming kings were. He was a deeper person than I had expected. He was able to listen to classical music and… Whitney Houston music without feeling like he was "too cool for it". He was different.

Despite my better judgment, I knew that I was getting myself too involved. I shouldn't have browsed through Edward's music. I shouldn't have had the absurd urge to find out more about him. In the end, as interesting as he may be, I was only hurting myself.

I shoved the iPod into my backpack, then. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

No. Not so much, really.

I tossed and turned for several hours in bed. I wouldn't let myself fall asleep until I had stopped thinking about Edward. I was certain that whatever the last thought in your head was before you went to sleep, that would be what your dreams would center around. The last thing I wanted was to dream about Edward again. I tried my hardest to focus on other things, but as it was my luck, most everything I could think about I could link to a song, and once I started thinking about music…

I groaned and rolled over in the bed, slamming my fist into the pillow as if it was going to make my mind suddenly clear. The clock on my nightstand told me that it was almost 1 in the morning. I needed to get to sleep. I was not a morning person as it was, and waking up after a less than full night of sleep only made my day worse.

I failed on both accounts. Not only did I get less than 6 hours of sleep that night… I also dreamt of Edward Cullen.

_The cafeteria seemed more crowded than usual. There was not enough room at the tables to seat all of the students, so some were standing. I still had an entire table to myself though. It would figure that even if mine were the last empty table, people would rather stand than sit with me. _

_Despite the heavy population of rowdy teenagers, though, there was always a large clear path from my table to the popular eight's table. Nothing obstructed my line of vision, not even once. Edward Cullen sat, looking troubled among the chatter of his friends. He seemed to be confused. He was biting his perfectly shaped lips and staring down at the table disconnectedly. I caught myself staring and quickly looked down too, cursing myself for being so nosy. I couldn't resist one more glance, though. I looked up under the protective cover of my eyelashes and felt the muscles in my stomach clench as I saw him staring directly at me. _

_I looked back down again, quickly picking up my fork and pretending to be interested in the same salad that I selected to eat every day. I pretended to scratch my forehead once just to shield one more glimpse of him and see if he was still staring. _

_I almost had a panic attack. _

_Not only was he still staring at me, but he was on his feet, walking towards me. _

"_Oh my God," I whispered under my breath, frantically trying to compose myself and look casual; like I didn't notice him. _

"_Bella?" I heard his smooth voice clearly, signifying that he was much closer than he would have ever been to me on a normal basis. It was then that I began to realize that I was dreaming. _

_I felt the eyes of a million students staring at us, I heard the sudden hush ripple across the cafeteria. It seemed as if the amount of people in the room kept increasing exponentially as each moment wore on. _

_I looked up slowly, meeting his gaze and trying not to let my heart stop completely. I opened my mouth, but no words came out of it. _

_The corner of his mouth pulled up in a breathtaking half-smile and my heart fluttered violently against my chest. _

"_I…" I started, losing my train of thought completely and saying the next thing that came to my mind. "I have your iPod." _

_His half smile blossomed into a full, eye crinkling grin as he leaned forward, placing his hand against the back of my neck, pulling me forward as he pressed his lips against my own._

_Suddenly, the thousands of people that seemed to have been watching us completely melted away. In that one blissful moment, it was only Edward and I. A part of me knew that this was a dream, and that was the part that urged me forward. I was going to pay for this when I woke up anyways, I might as well get the most out of the moment while it lasted. I arched my body into his and let my lips mold around his mouth like two puzzle pieces. I felt his hand find an anchor against my lower back and I suddenly realized that I had somehow risen to a standing position. I was perfectly content in the moment, even considering that my first kiss was in a dream. I was perfectly content until the earsplitting, shrill ring of the warning bell tore us apart._

I sat up in my bed, a cold sweat dampening my forehead and my heart beating erratically. Gasping for air, I slammed my hand down on top of the buzzing alarm clock and threw myself back into my pillows. I was ashamed of myself. I felt like a pitiful obsessive teenager… which I wasn't. I had never let myself be like the other people my age. I had always considered it absurd and childish to dream about being with someone and fantasize about them…

Oh, my God… I had just _fantasized_ about Edward Cullen.

I felt at that moment that a shower was definitely in order. Not just a shower, though… a cold shower. I found that the ice cold water helped clear my mind a little bit. I couldn't focus on the dream when I was too busy trying to stop my teeth from chattering.

My reasoning was ridiculously flawed.

Charlie was already gone to work when I made it into the kitchen. I looked at the clock and realized that it was too late for me to worry about a bowl of cereal. I grabbed an apple off of the basket on the counter and headed out the door.

I was still mortified at myself. After I had gotten out of the shower, I had almost kicked myself for considering spending a little more time in front of the mirror just because I planned on approaching Edward today. I really was being pathetic. It wouldn't be as bad if I had chosen a guy to dream about that wasn't completely and entirely out of my league… but as it happened, Edward was as far out of my league as he could get.

I didn't listen to music on the way to school that day. I drove with the windows down, trying to enjoy the cool autumn air, knowing that soon it would be replaced by the atrocity that was winter.

I hated the winter. Ice did not mix well with my already exaggerated lack of grace.

I had already decided that I was going to find Edward as soon as I could to return his iPod to him… and I had already decided that I was going to do it in as few words as possible.

I had not expected the opportunity to come so soon, though. As I pulled my rusted pick up into my usual parking spot, I noticed the flash of bright yellow that signified Alice Cullen's arrival in the parking lot. In the passenger seat, Edwards distinct, messy brown hair alerted me to his presence. It seemed he had still not gotten a new vehicle.

I took a deep breath and ran my tongue over my teeth making sure that there weren't any leftover apple peelings intent on embarrassing me. I resisted the urge to check myself in my trucks mirror and instead started off across the parking lot. Edward and Alice were just about to head into the school when Alice caught sight of me and took obvious note of my direction toward them. She nudged Edward quickly and jerked her head toward me. He turned and stopped as soon as he saw me. I was certain that I must have been imagining the small smile toying at the corner of his mouth. I tried to convince myself that it was just a trick of the light, so there was really no reason why my heart should be accelerating as much as it was.

"Hi Bella," Alice chimed with a smile, glancing at Edward quickly.

I was taken aback by the fact that Alice even knew my name, let alone wasted any breath on greeting me.

"Hi," I replied weakly.

"Bella," Edward nodded.

"I don't mean to bug you or anything," I started. Edward's brow pulled together tightly in mild confusion as I spoke. "You just, um… you dropped your iPod yesterday," I explained, fumbling through my backpack and extracting his mp3 player from the front pocket and handing it to him. His eyes widened in obvious surprise as he took it from me and pocketed it.

"Thanks," he said enthusiastically. He looked as if he was about ready to say something else, but I had already started excusing myself.

"Well, have a nice day…" I stammered, quickly dodging the two of them and blending in with the crowd headed for the double doors to the school. I vaguely heard Alice call out, "Nice to meet you.." from behind me and I suddenly felt like a huge idiot.

I threw my backpack into my locker and grabbed my books for the first class as I came to terms with just how ridiculous I had acted.

"Have a nice day?" I mocked myself in disgust, wincing and tipping my head back as if looking at the ceiling was going to reassure me that I wasn't as big of a moron as I felt.

Thoroughly ashamed of myself, I forced myself to focus on the lessons in each of my classes. I dreaded the lunch period when I would have nothing to focus on that could possibly keep me from dwelling. Sure enough, as I took my seat at my lunch table, there was one thing on my mind… and it definitely was _not_ my salad.

I studied the patterns in the table top, willing myself not to look over at Edward's table. I knew, though, that I could only resist for so long. I overheard bits of conversation before I heard Edward's voice raise. He seemed to be arguing with Tanya.

Then, a hush fell over the entire cafeteria. I looked up slowly. Everyone was staring at.. Something. I followed their gaze and my heart clenched in my chest. I must have been hallucinating…no… he was definitely walking straight towards me. Edward Cullen was coming over to my table.

"Damn it." I mumbled under my breath, realizing that I was definitely still dreaming. Grudgingly, I rolled up the sleeve of my shirt and pinched myself as hard as I could.

"Ow!" I jumped a little, my eyes widening in horror as my dream theory was shattered.

"Bella," Edward greeted, taking a seat next to me.

I felt sick.

_Please don't let me throw up on Edward, please, please, please…_

I felt my lips move, but no sound came out of them.

Then I felt it; the hundreds of eyes staring at me. I felt the scarlet blush spring to my cheeks and I felt my pulse quicken.

I gaped at him for a moment before he spoke again.

"Do you mind if I eat lunch with you today?"

* * *

A/N: I feel that by far, my favorite chapter in all of everything I have ever written is chapter 6 of this story, which, hopefully, I will be posting some time next week.

While you are waiting for my update, there are three stories you should look up and read right the hell now, okay?

My Brother's Best Friend, by jennlynnfs  
Secret Prophecies by bexi21  
and Silence in the Stacks by jillbetsonalice.

all of them are Twilight related  
all of them are excellent.

also, I have posted two links in my profile information. One of them is the link to the site where you can download all the music I use in the chapters, the other is the link to an amazing fan video that jillbetsonalice made for my story. She's the shit. It's another reason for you to go read her shit. Now. Do it.

reviews are oxygen!


	6. Chapter 6

"Damn," I cursed, rummaging through the cardboard box's contents desperately seeking something that was obviously not going to be found.

"What's up?" Alice stopped in my doorway, concern pulling at her brow as she listened to my sudden stream of profanities.

"I think that bastard at the Auto Shop stole my iPod. It was in my car, but its not in the box."

"Well maybe they just didn't find it…" she suggested. "Or maybe it flew out the window or something.."

"Alice, this man smelled like bad cheese and was using a candle dish to spit his tobacco in.."

"Yeah, he probably stole it," she nodded in agreement. "Just get a new one."

"I don't want a new one. I had the perfect assortment of music on there. I'm more upset about losing that than I am about the car."

"Bummer," she shrugged. "Come on, we're going to be late for school."

Groaning discontentedly, I flung my backpack over my shoulder and followed Alice out of the house and climbed into the passenger seat of her bright yellow Porsche.

"I miss my Volvo," I grumbled as I threw my backpack in the backseat and shrugged into my seatbelt.

She rolled her eyes and started the ignition. I winced as a loud, steady hip-hop beat burst through the speakers. I moved my knee so that it wasn't resting against the speakers on the door. I could feel the vibrations from the base radiating in my entire body. It was so loud, I couldn't even tell what the words were.

"I miss my iPod," I edited, knowing the words were lost to the pounding beat as we tore out of the driveway.

It only took me a moment to gain some appreciation for the excessive volume of the music. As soon as we were out on the road, Alice began chattering away animatedly. Her mouth must have been matching the speed of her vehicle, at least, but I couldn't hear a word of what she was saying. Finally, I gave up trying to read her lips due to the lightheaded feeling it gave me. It was sort of like trying to watch a hummingbird's wings move while it was in flight.

I turned my attention away from Alice and began studying the unusually bright surroundings flying past the window of the car as she sped down the road. Regardless of the fact that I often drove at speeds much exceeding the posted limits, I still found myself subconsciously pressing my foot to the floor of the passenger seat as if expecting that the brake pedal would appear magically and give me some mild form of control. It was even worse when Alice was busy talking. She was almost going 100 miles per hour and she hadn't even noticed. I flinched and looked away from the speedometer back at Alice. She was staring at me expectantly, like I was supposed to be answering her.

"What?" I mouthed, not bothering to waste verbiage that I knew would fall short of being heard even if I screamed it. She rolled her eyes and turned down the volume in a violent twist of her wrist.

"I asked what was on your mind that's keeping you so quiet," she said matter-of-factly.

"How do you know I'm being quiet? I could be singing the National Anthem at the top of my lungs and you wouldn't have a clue because your music is so damn loud."

"Oh, you're hilarious." She narrowed her eyes sarcastically at me.

"What was that?" I continued, placing my hand against my ear to exaggerate my point. "I can't hear you still… I think my ears might be bleeding."

"Shut up!" Alice growled, bringing her small hand around and slapping it against my chest with surprising force for such a petite person. I rubbed the spot where she had made contact and she rolled her eyes at me.

"You are such a pansy."

"You're such a _butch_," I retorted.

"Real clever," she replied, making an unattractive face at me and sticking out her tongue. "You still didn't answer my question."

I ignored her and went back to looking out the window.

"Hey!" she protested, "I'm going to blast the music again if you don't occupy me by talking."

"You talk," I suggested. "You're really good at it."

"You're thinking about that girl, aren't you?" she accused.

"What?"

"Well you're avoiding the subject quite well."

"That doesn't mean anything. Alice, we're not talking about this. You might as well turn the music back on."

"Fine," she smiled smugly, reaching for the console. Before she turned the volume up, though, she turned the radio off and pressed a button labeled CD1.

_I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world. Life in plastic, it's fantastic! You can brush my hair. Undress me everywhere.._

I groaned. Anything but that song..

"Oh my God!" I shouted, "Fine, fine! I'll talk!"

"What?" she shouted sarcastically, mimicking the same motion I had made earlier by cupping her hand around her ear.

I reached for the volume and cranked it down, turning back to glare at her. "I said," I spat through gritted teeth. "I'll talk."

"Oh! If you insist…" she shrugged indifferently.

I loved Alice, I really did, but sometimes… sometimes I wanted to make a bonfire out of her designer clothes and roast marshmallows while she writhed in agony on the ground. I was terrible for it, I knew, but she deserved it at times.

"You really are an evil little fiend," I scowled.

"I prefer devilish pixie skilled in the art of interrogation, thanks," she corrected me, "But I think you were about to admit that you have a thing for whoever it was you got in an accident with and went to see at the library yesterday and you've been thinking about her nonstop and you don't know what to do because you don't think she likes you back and you're afraid of the rejection etcetera, etcetera…. So don't let me stop you."

She said this all in one breath and I was completely astonished that I had even understood her completely.

"Well if you already knew everything, why the hell is it so important that I tell you?" I scowled menacingly, crossing my arms in a very immature gesture across my chest.

"Because I love to hear that I was right," she grinned. "Plus I would really like to know the name of this mystery girl."

I hesitated for a moment before realizing that I couldn't deny anything to Alice at this point. She always had her ways of getting what she wanted, and I would have to tell her in the end anyway. I might as well spare myself the torture and get it over with.

I sighed and turned in my seat to face her. "You can't say anything to _anyone_ about this." I warned her.

"Of course not, Edward. It won't leave this car," she assured me.

I knew that telling her Bella's name would not be of much help, so I decided on an easier way to describe her.

"She's the one that always sits alone during lunch… at the table nearest the hallway," I explained.

Alice's face crinkled up for a moment before her eyes grew wide and she turned to me with a shocked expression covering her face. "You don't mean that fashion retarded, socially awkward, tragically reclusive girl… do you?"

I cocked my head and stared at her incredulously, "Thanks, Alice."

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be rude. Yeah, I know who you're talking about, though. She sits in front of me in second hour."

"Shit, you have a class with her?" I groaned. "Alice, you can't say anything to her… please!" But she wasn't listening to me. She was frowning in thought again trying to pick through her endless knowledge about famous designers and makeup application tips for something useful.

"Oh! Isabella Swan?" she turned to me quizzically. "Is that her name?"

"She prefers Bella," I mumbled in resignation.

"Oh wow… well that was unexpected," she admitted. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, Alice. I really don't know. If Tanya found out about this she would go ballistic!"

"Damn right, she would. She would make you the laughing stock of the entire school.." Alice offered, turning red after she caught my exasperated glance. "Sorry…"

"You're right," I sighed. "Nobody would even consider Bella Swan being my type… She's so different than I am."

"You come from two different worlds," Alice nodded in agreement.

"I know. I've tried to make myself stop thinking about her, but it just doesn't work. I have no idea what to do."

She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. "I could always give her a few fashion tips… make her more like a teenage girl, you know.."

"Alice! Must you find a way to contort _everything_ into an opportunity for you to perform a makeover?"

"I was just trying to help…" she rolled her eyes.

I let the conversation drop as she pulled into the school parking lot and swung the car into its usual spot. This clearly wasn't a conversation for the school environment. Something told me that Alice had every intention of bringing this up again during our camping trip this afternoon.

I jumped out of the car and swung my backpack onto my shoulders, slamming the door shut behind me as Alice did the same. I rounded the corner of the vehicle to fall into step behind Alice when she suddenly turned to say something else to me. Her words faltered, though, as she caught sight of something behind me. Her mouth stayed open and her eyes grew wide as she nudged me, jerking her head and gesturing that I turn around and follow her gaze.

I did so. My breath exited in a huff and my stomach clenched. I felt ashamed of how nervous I was just at the sight of Bella. She looked nervous. She bit her lip as she stopped in front of me. I knew I should speak, but I couldn't remember what was the commonly accepted phrase that people used to greet each other anymore. My mind had gone blank.

"Hi, Bella," Alice chirped. I could hear the warm smile in her voice and was immediately grateful.

"Hi." Bella's voice was quiet.

"Bella," I nodded toward her in greeting.

"I don't mean to bug you or anything," she started apologetically. I frowned in confusion. Why would she think she was bugging me?

She continued as she shuffled through a pocket on her backpack, "You just, um… you dropped your iPod, yesterday." She pulled out my royal blue clad iPod touch out of her backpack and handed it to me. I felt a sense of completion as she released it back into my possession and I couldn't help but let an elated smile break across my face.

"Thanks!"

"Well, have a nice day…" She said quickly, sidestepping around us and heading towards the school before I could say anything else.

"Nice to meet you.." Alice called out after Bella's departing figure, who didn't seem to hear at all. I barely heard her, either. I was too busy watching Bella disappear into the crowd.

"You know…" Alice started, pulling me abruptly out of my reverie. "There's some underlying pretty going on, there. I think I can do something with that. She has potential.."

I turned my head to stare at her in awe again. She beamed back proudly. I rolled my eyes and pushed her shoulder gently, causing her to lose her balance and hop several steps to the left before sprinting to catch up to me, still smiling impishly.

I made Alice promise to me that she wouldn't do or say anything to embarrass Bella in their English class that morning by threatening to tell mom that Alice and Jasper had had sex in her and dad's Jacuzzi tub last week.

"Damn you," she mumbled as she slammed her locker and turned to head toward her first class. "It's not fair that I don't have any dirty little secrets to hold against you."

I smirked to myself in triumph as I collected my books out of my own locker, which was conveniently located right next to Alice's in keeping with the tidy alphabetical order locker system the school had going for it.

The day dragged by at an almost excruciatingly slow pace. I felt myself battling anxiety through every class and instead of paying attention to what any of the teachers were lecturing on, I found that I would stare at the torturing slow ticks of the clock, counting down the minutes until I would spill into the hallway with the rest of the students and possibly catch another glimpse of Bella Swan.

I was hit in the head with a tennis ball several times during gym class, too. I just couldn't seem to focus on anything. The gym teacher even offered me a pass to the nurse due to my strange behavior. I was usually pretty good at tennis. I wondered idly if Bella was any good at tennis. Maybe I could take her out and play tennis sometime. That was a decent kind of date, right?

Yes, I knew how pathetic I was.

"Edward… Edward!" I jerked my head to the side and met Alice's stare.

"What the hell, daydream much?" she rolled her eyes at me as I jammed my gym bag into my locker.

"I wasn't…"

"Yeah, whatever. So, listen, Bella's free Friday after school."

"Alice!" I scolded. "I told you not to meddle!"

"I didn't meddle. She dropped her planner without noticing so I glanced at her schedule just to see. I figured it would be the closest I could get to meddling without actually talking to her. Take a pill, Ed."

"Great, so she's free Friday. What's that matter to me? OW!" I rubbed the sore spot on my arm that Alice had just punched.

"You're not going to honestly pretend like you don't want to act on these daytime fantasies of yours. Cut the crap."

"I'm not fantasizing… and besides, who says she would want to go anywhere with me anyways?"

"Oh, please. You better at least talk to her once more before we leave today. I am not dealing with you staring into space picturing her naked throughout the whole camping trip."

"I am not picturing her naked. Not everyone is as perverse as you are, Alice."

"Hey, just because I've seen nudity outside of porno doesn't mean I'm a pervert."

I looked down quickly, pretending to find something interesting on the ground.

"Oh my God! You're shitting me. Edward, you haven't even watched _porn?_" she choked out. "I should disown you as my brother!"

"Shut up, Alice."

"You damn goody-two-shoes… you could have any girl in this school!"

"That's not true," I mumbled.

"Oh just ask her out! You never know until you try, right?"

"I can't do that." I shook my head in frustration, "It would be too…"

"Embarrassing?" she suggested.

"Yes… no…" I stammered, "It would be embarrassing for her, too, though. She hates attention."

"Did she tell you that?"

"Yes."

"Maybe she just doesn't know what it's like to have attention. Maybe that's her way of avoiding being embarrassed by the fact that no one wants to hang out with her.."

"Alice!" I scolded again.

"I'm sorry! It's the truth, though. The girl needs a makeover and someone to burn her wardrobe and teach her how to shop and apply makeup."

I threw her an exasperated glance as I slammed my locker shut.

"And wouldn't it be convenient if she suddenly acquired a bo-" she stopped herself and rethought her statement. "a _friend_ who had a sister who could help her with all of that."

"What's the chance that you'll drop this sometime soon?" I groaned.

"Well I sit next to you in class next hour and then its lunch time… and then we're leaving for our camping trip, so it seems you're out of luck. I am not going to stop talking about this. This is, like, your first actual crush. Tanya doesn't count. She makes every guy like her just by the way she shakes her boobs at you. But this is a big deal whether you want to admit it or not, and I'm not just going to let you sit on these feelings and not do anything about it."

"We're going to be late." I scowled, walking away from Alice and towards our A.P. English classroom.

Fortunately, our assignment in English was to read another chapter in Wuthering Heights and answer several questions about it, which required us to be quiet for the most part.

Unfortunately, though, Alice speed read and flew through the questions at a nearly blinding pace, leaving her free to pester me with another stream of obnoxious and irritating questions and accusations.

"Alice!" I hissed. "If I promise to talk to her again sometime this week will you shut up and leave me alone!"

"That's all it would take." she beamed triumphantly.

"Fine. Now cork it until I get this assignment done."

She made a show of zipping up her lips with an imaginary zipper and throwing away the key. I knew it was all show, though. Alice had never been able to be quiet for more than 3 minutes at a time. I finished my questions quickly, knowing that she was likely in near physical pain from holding back her thoughts. I was actually quite shocked that she had managed to stay quiet.

"Can I say one other thing?" she pleaded quietly.

"What?" I snapped.

"You should take her out to that coffee house on third street."

"Why's that?" I made a point to place a great exaggeration on my monotone voice.

"Because it's a very comfortable environment for a first date. They have good coffee too…" Something in her voice suggested that she had something else she would like to add. I shot her a disbelieving glance and she blurted- "And they have really great cheesecake that you should bring home for me."

"Oh, well that just settles it then," I mocked acidly.

She stuck out her tongue and crossed her arms around her chest stubbornly.

She could certainly act like such a child sometimes.

Her silent treatment only lasted about five minutes before she started filling me in on the assignment we would be getting in Biology that day, as she had already had the class. A lab and a ton of book work, excellent. Perfect timing for a camping trip. Oh well, I would have to make it up when I got back. She kept talking for the rest of the period, only lowering her voice to a whisper when the teacher cleared his throat and directed her to stop being such a distraction to the other students. It seemed like hours ad passed in that one class before finally, the bell rang.

Lunch time.

I knew that with Alice aware of the situation, I wouldn't be able to pass my absent gazing across the lunchroom as simple disconnected indifference anymore. She would know who I was looking at, and she would make it a point in conversation as soon as she had the opportunity. I would have to avoid looking at Bella Swan as best as I could today.

I failed.

It was as if my eyes were drawn directly to her the moment I stepped into the cafeteria, like I was subconsciously making up for the time she had been right in front of me and I hadn't seen her. In fact, now that I considered it, our paths crossed in this building several times per day. I passed by her locker on the way to my own at least 4 times a day. And I spotted her in the hallway numerous times on my way to classes, as well. And now, in the cafeteria, she was at the salad counter preparing her lunch. I watched her grab an apple as she passed the fruit cart and she made her way to her table.

I decided that I wasn't hungry this morning. Normally I ate lunch to make up for missing breakfast, but driving with Alice meant that I left the house much later in the morning due to her rigorous morning routine of beautification and fashion coordination, as she called it. Esme had taken the opportunity to make a heaping plate of pancakes for me to occupy myself with as Alice sorted through her hundreds of shades of lipstick for the one that complemented her outfit just right. Consequently, I wasn't very hungry this afternoon.

I made a beeline for my table. Rosalie and Emmett were already there. Neither of them were eating, either. Now that I thought about it, I didn't know if they ever ate the school lunches. Emmett's diet mainly consisted of protein shakes and anything else that could increase the amount of muscles covering his body. Rosalie was very vain and was also fixated on her image. She was on a different diet every week even though no one in their right mind would consider her overweight. Surely the cafeteria food would not be something found on her daily menu. Rose probably only ate exotic low carb foods flown in from other countries… and Emmett. I cringed at the thought. They were a perfect match, really… but if I had had an appetite at all it would have been ruined by my thinking about their private relationship. It was bad enough I had to hear about Alice's and walk in on Tanya's.

"Not eating today, Edward?" Emmett's voice broke through my thoughts as I seated myself across from him.

"No, my mom made me a huge breakfast this morning while Alice was taking her sweet time getting ready," I explained with a shrug.

"Oh, that's right. You don't have a car anymore," Rosalie realized aloud.

"I'm getting another one when we get back from camping."

"That's today, right?" Jasper inquired as he took his seat next to Emmett.

"Yes. We're leaving right after lunch," I informed him.

Tanya was the next to join the table, and because she thought the world revolved around her, she was quick to make herself a part of our conversation.

"Damn! That means I won't have a partner for our Bio lab today," she pouted.

"Heaven forbid you have to do work," I grumbled under my breath.

"What?" she snapped.

"I said you forgot a fork." I shrugged and gestured toward her bowl of fruit.

"I'm only eating with chopsticks this week," she informed me in a matter-of-fact tone as she produced a set of chopsticks out of her purse. "It's a new diet. Apparently I'll lose 5 pounds if I only eat with chopsticks."

I was about to comment on how absurd that was when she cut me off and continued.

"Like I was saying, though, if you're not there in Bio, Mr. Banner might make me partner with that loser who sits in the back. Do you know what that would do to my image?" A look of disgust crossed her face as she even considered it. "You're so lucky Mr. Banner let you switch lab partners this year, imagine if you had to be partnered with _her_."

As offended as I expected I would have been by her statement… I wasn't. Instead, I was pissed. I felt my stomach clench in anger and my fists ball up with effort to restrain myself. Alice had made her way to the table just in time to catch Tanya's statement and she quickly changed the subject, throwing me a half sympathetic, half concerned glance as she asked Tanya where she got her shoes.

I couldn't resist a glance at Bella, then. I let my eyes flick up and down in one discreet movement, taking a mental picture of Bella. She was sitting quietly, her hands clasped in her lap. Her eyes were focused on the table and her eyebrows were pulled together in a tight line. She looked almost as if she was trying not to cry.

My heart spasmed involuntarily as I wondered if she had overheard Tanya or not. She wasn't _that_ far away, really… and if she had been straining her ears a little I'm sure she could have picked it up.

More anger swelled up within me. I swallowed back a burning in my throat and focused on taking deep, even breaths. I couldn't believe that Tanya could be such a heartless bitch. No… I could, actually. It was just like her to pick on others to make herself feel more superior. That was the kind of person Tanya had always been.

Tanya was now immersed in conversation with Irina and Kate who had just joined the table, taking their seats flanking either side of Tanya, which I was grateful for. If there was someone in between the two of us, there was less of a chance that I would punch her. I distracted myself by turning away from Tanya's conversation and listening instead to the other conversations at the table. Problem was, though, there were no other conversations. Alice was now thoroughly immersed in Jaspers embrace, staring deeply into his eyes. A small smile curved the corner of her lips as he gently kissed her. I bit my lip and looked away feeling as if I was invading a very intimate moment. I found no reprieve when I looked to Emmett or Rosalie, either. Their hands were weaved tightly together on the table and Rose's head rested on Emmett's broad shoulder as he pressed his cheek to her hair.

Suddenly, amidst the anger and loathing toward Tanya, a new emotion emerged. It was a new feeling that was unfamiliar to me, but immediately identifiable. I was jealous of my two best friends.

Not jealous of them because of Rosalie and Alice, of course. Alice was my sister and I had never looked at Rose in that way. I guess my loneliness had never really bothered me before now. I had always recognized my solitude; I just had never had reason to dwell on it. But now, for some reason that I was unwilling to explain to myself, I felt the stabbing pain of jealousy. They were happy. They had found that one other person in the world that they could be happy with. They had found their future reflected in another's eyes… and I was still Edward, the unhappy loner.

"Oh, did I tell you!" Tanya's shrill voice broke through my thoughts and the anger that I had almost forgotten swallowed the jealousy completely and I felt my eyes narrow and my fists clench again as she continued telling what she probably thought was the most important story of the day to Irina and Kate. "I got pulled over this morning." Her voice sounded disbelieving, almost disgusted. Her tone suggested the audacity that the police officer must have had to pull over someone like _her._

"He must not have known that the world revolves around you," I muttered. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice but Alice who let out a snort that she quickly covered as a sneeze.

"Seriously?" Irina gasped. "For what?"

"Speeding." I could almost hear the roll of Tanya's eyes as she said it. "He gave me a ticket, too."

"No!" Kate chimed.

"Yeah! I know, right!" Tanya's voice made me cringe. "It was the Chief guy, too. I flirted with him and everything and he didn't even seem to notice."

"Isn't he that girl's dad?" Irina asked, presumably gesturing towards Bella.

"Yeah," Tanya snorted. "I guess the freak gene runs in the family."

That was it, for me. I felt my temper boil over the surface and I rounded on her at a speed capable of causing whiplash.

"Why do you insist on being such a bitch?" I growled.

Tanya's eyes widened and she raised an eyebrow, challenging me, "Excuse me?"

"Is there a specific reason why you insist on acting like a complete snob all the time, apart from the fact that you are one?"

"What the fuck is your problem?" she hissed.

"You are my problem," I answered honestly.

"Well then why don't you leave if you have such a problem with me?" she mocked. "Of course, where the hell would you go?"

"Is that a challenge?" I raised my eyebrow at her.

"Anything is a challenge for you." she jested. If she was trying to make a jab at my intelligence, it had completely backfired. I was far from stupid and everyone knew that. For her to suggest otherwise only proved the opposite.

I glared back at her trying desperately to contain my rage and ignore the gaping mouths of the other people at the table. I knew then that I had no choice. I had a point to prove.

I stood from the table, watching as Tanya's eyes widened first in confusion and then narrowed into slits as a smirk crossed her lips. No doubt she was either questioning my sanity or banking on the fact that I would spend the rest of my lunch period alone in the bathroom. No one, except maybe Alice, would have ever expected what I did then.

I drew out my eye contact with Tanya for as long as possible as I walked away. When I finally turned away from her, every eye in the cafeteria was trained on me. All except Bella's. I immediately felt a pang of guilt as I realized that my actions were going to burden Bella with much more attention than she ever wanted.

I had already covered half of the distance between our tables by the time Bella finally looked up. Her eyes raised slowly, and she surveyed the hushed cafeteria with confusion before she followed their gaze and spotted my approach. First, a scarlet blush crept over her cheeks, and then, in a matter of seconds, the blush disappeared as her face drained entirely of all color. Her eyes were wide with shock and her lips formed a large 'o' as she gaped at me in near disbelief.

A sudden jolt of fear crept up to accompany the other emotions running rampant through my mind. What if she rejected me? What if she asked me to go away? I couldn't exactly blame her if she did. Along with me came a whole cavalcade of attention that she certainly was not seeking. It was too late, now, though. By this time, it was blatantly obvious to every pair of eyes trained on me exactly where I was going.

I slowed to an awkward stop about a foot away from the table. Bella's eyes had widened further and she looked like she might be sick.

"Bella," I greeted with a nod of my head as I motioned to take the seat next to her.

Her lips moved, but no sound came out. The blush sprang back into her face.

"Do you mind if I eat lunch with you today?" I felt like an idiot the moment I said it. I clearly had no lunch tray, and I clearly would not be eating.

Her chocolate brown eyes were still wide with shock and staring at me. It took a moment, but finally, she nodded once.

Slowly, the noise in the cafeteria began to pick back up. Hushed whispers washed across the room like ripples. Bella was tense, biting her lip uncertainly as she stared down at the table.

"So, umm… thanks again for returning my iPod," I started awkwardly, desperate to lighten the mood with any kind of conversation starter.

She hesitated, and then nodded.

I didn't know how else to make conversation that she would actually take part in, and I was beginning to think that this was a bad idea when she finally spoke.

"You really didn't have to do this," she said quietly, avoiding eye contact.

"Do what?" I frowned.

"Come sit with me," she elaborated.

"Oh…yeah, I know I didn't."

"You already thanked me in the parking lot," she reminded me.

"Yes, I know…" I was unsure about where exactly she was going with this.

She finally looked up at me, her face contorted to host the same kind of confusion I was feeling.

"What?" I urged, shaking my head a little.

"It's just…" she stammered. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't have to embarrass yourself by sitting with me _just_ to apologize."

"Oh…no, Bella, that's not.." I fumbled for words. "I came over here because I _wanted_ to."

Now she looked extremely confused.

"You mean… you committed social suicide on purpose?" Her brow furrowed as she spoke as if the words made no sense to her.

I couldn't help but let out one loud, short laugh. That response was totally unexpected from her.

"Social what?" I chuckled.

"Well… I don't know. Maybe the 'freak' gene is contagious."

My heart immediately sunk. So she had heard Tanya.

"Oh, Bella… I'm really sorry about that."

She frowned, "Why do you always insist on apologizing and thanking me?"

"Well, that was a really terrible thing for you to overhear."

"It's fine," she said quickly. "I'm used to it. If you would have stayed over there she would have gotten bored of picking on me in five minutes, but now I'll probably be her topic for at least a week," she shrugged.

"Damn," I grumbled. "You're right, I'm sorr-" I trailed off, catching her exasperated glance. "…yeah."

She chewed on her bottom lip for another moment before I spoke again.

"Listen, umm.. I would still like to take you out to coffee sometime."

She looked at me blankly for a few seconds before she asked, "Why?"

I stared back at her for a moment, contemplating my answer.

"Because," I said finally. "I don't think you're a freak."

Her features softened exponentially and she exhaled slowly. She was about to speak when she was cut off by the bell signaling the end of our lunch period.

"Listen," I said hurriedly as she collected her tray. "I'm going on a camping trip right now. I'll be back on Friday. Are you free after school then?" I knew the answer, but it was polite to ask, right?

"Oh, umm…" she hesitated. "Yeah… I'm-"

"Great! Coffee, then?"

"Oh, sure…" she stammered.

"Excellent, I'll see you Friday!" I grinned, genuinely pleased.

"Yeah… er, bye," she waved awkwardly as she deposited the contents of her tray into a garbage can and walked away, throwing glances over her shoulder as she went.

Still smiling, I made my way back to my locker, ignoring the various stares that followed me.

Alice was smiling too as she packed her backpack and gathered her car keys out of her locker.

"What. Was. That?" Tanya's voice sounded from behind me. Every new word she emphasized caused me to cringe.

"Pardon me?" I asked, forcing a false note of curiosity into my voice without turning to face her.

"When I told you to go si t somewhere else, I was _not_ referring to the freak of the week's table."

I inhaled deeply, trying to ignore her words and go about collecting my backpack calmly.

"Oh my God, Tanya!" Alice gasped. "That is the fastest appearing zit I have ever seen!"

"What?" Tanya squealed, clapping her hands over her face.

Catching on, I turned and put a fake look of disgust on my face briefly before turning back around and slinging my backpack onto my shoulder. There wasn't anything really on her face, of course, except a small fortunes worth of makeup.

Alice chuckled lightly and slammed her locker as I heard Tanya's heels receding quickly down the hallway, likely to check her complexion in the lighted mirror she had in her locker.

I slammed my locker and began walking towards the office with Alice so that we could sign out. I rolled my eyes and threw my arm over her shoulder in a thankful gesture. She winked and bumped her hip into mine… well; it was actually my thigh due to the height difference. I stumbled to the left a little, reaching out to push her in the opposite direction, but missing.

Yeah, sometimes she pissed me off. Sometimes I wanted to burn all of her designer clothes and roast marshmallows by the flames, but it was moments like this that would prevent me from actually carrying that threat out.

* * *

check my profile for other fic recs, banner, fanvid, and music from this fic.

sorry this took so long to post. Real life has been killer lately. I'll start posting faster, I promise. Also, more Alice and Edward interactions in the next chapter. I love their relationship in this fic for some reason. idk.

:)


	7. Chapter 7

_Everyone's staring at me._

"Ouch." I mumbled as I accidentally bumped into a garbage can. I turned around one last time and met Edward's eyes as he backed away going the opposite direction. A corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile. From this distance, I couldn't be positive, but just before he turned around I could have sworn he had winked at me.

"Ouch!" I mumbled a second time, rubbing the spot on my arm I had just repeat offended by pinching.

This was impossible. Edward Cullen had sat at my table… on purpose? No. I must have hallucinated. There was no way…

But I knew, even as I tried so desperately to convince myself otherwise, that it was reality. I could feel the hundreds of curious and confused eyes scrutinizing me as I made my way toward my locker. All of them most likely thinking the same thing that I was; _What's so special about her?_

Nothing was special about me. There was nothing about me that could possibly be attractive to Edward Cullen. So, what was it, then? Was he getting volunteer hours for hanging out with me? Was I considered a charity case? Did he feel sorry for me? A dare? A bet?

No one was even attempting to hide their stares, either. Completely shameless, these people. I met several of their eyes as I stumbled through the hallways, and they didn't even make a show of looking away. They just kept on staring at me.

I made my way as quickly as I could to my locker. I was so flustered that it took me three tries to finally get the correct combination in and open it up, and even then, I made it half way down the hall before I realized I had grabbed the wrong books and had to start all over again. Despite my delays, I was still one of the first ones to make it into the classroom. Mr. Banner nodded and smiled at me as I entered and took my seat. Mr. Banner was one of my favorite teachers. He rarely called on me because he knew that even though I was almost sure to know the answer, I just didn't feel comfortable in the spotlight. I appreciated that.

Today, though, the spotlight was on me. People whispered as they walked in and took their seats, no doubt trying to decipher what on earth could have possessed Edward Cullen to sit with _me_ of all people. I hid my blush behind my biology book, reading the weekend's assigned pages over for the third time just to distract myself. No matter how hard I tried, though, I couldn't drown out the steady hush of whispers. I finally gave up on trying to read and looked up at the clock to figure out how much more time I would have to spend in this prison when the click of heels signaled Tanya's entrance. The whispers died down immediately and my eyes fell on her. She was standing, poised, in the doorway. Her eyes were squinted into a glare and her glare was aimed directly at me. I felt my heart sputter as she began walking, not toward her seat, but towards mine.

She stopped right in front of my desk. I felt the heat rush to my face and I desperately hoped that my heart wasn't beating loud enough for her to hear.

"What game are you playing?" she growled.

I felt my mouth move, but I said nothing.

"Listen," she bent down and scowled at me, her heavily manicured eyebrows drawing together. "I don't know what universe you are living in, but here in normal land, Edward Cullen is _mine_. Stay the hell away from him. Got it?"

I gulped. I didn't respond. I tried not to look too scared, but judging from the pleased smirk on her face, I was failing. If I was just a little bit braver I would have told her off, but any kind of two-sided confrontation with Tanya was sure to glean me even more attention.

"Watch your back," she snarled, throwing me one last warning glare before flipping her hair and walking to her seat.

My fingers were white as I gripped the table. I steadied my breathing and watched as the many wide eyes that had been watching Tanya turned back to the person sitting next to them and the hushed whispers picked back up.

"Alright, alright," Mr. Banner took control of the class, his eyes darting between Tanya and I suspiciously. He had obviously noted the single sided confrontation. "Settle down. You need to flip to the lab procedures on page 452 and collect the tools you will need to perform the lab work. Once you are set up, come see me for your frog."

_Shit, frog dissection._

If I wasn't feeling sick before, I certainly was now. I let my eyes flutter closed and tried to take a deep breath as I heard numerous chairs scraping against the tile floors as my classmates complied to Mr. Banner's instructions.

"Bella?"

My eyes flew open as I heard my name.

"Are you alright? You look sick." Mr. Banner was standing in front of my desk looking highly concerned, his brow pulled together in a taut line.

I would have opened my mouth to answer, but I was afraid I would vomit if I did so. I tried to make myself nod, but all that happened was a discreet shrug.

"Why don't you go down to the nurse's office. You can make up this lab on Friday after school."

I was about to argue and say that I would rather just get it over with now when I realized that having to make up a lab would give me a valid excuse to skip coffee with Edward. Tanya had made it quite clear that having anything more to do with him would not be in my best interest. Plus, if I were to attempt this lab in the middle of a crowded classroom, and my nausea got the better of me…. Well, hadn't I already been embarrassed enough today? Yes, Friday would work.

I nodded my head and collected my books, darting out of the classroom as quickly as I could.

It was much nicer to walk through the hallways without people staring at me like I was the new student again. I stared at my feet as I shuffled into the administrative office. I looked up to locate the door to the nurse's office. I had never been in there before.

"Bella?"

_Damn it. Why were people talking to me today?_

I recognized the voice moments after I heard it. My heart clenched as I looked up to meet Edward's eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he frowned in concern. I was about to ask the same thing when I realized that he must have been there to sign out for the day. Alice was right beside him, grinning at me.

"I… um…" I stammered. "Nurse." I pointed toward the nurse's door silently cursing myself for my monosyllabic cave-man speech.

Edward cocked his head slightly to the left quizzically, "Don't you feel well?"

"I… no. I'm sick." I replied, stumbling over my words again.

I forced a smile that probably came off as a grimace or a sign of mild constipation as I turned to enter the nurse's room, hearing him issue a quick "Feel better," from behind me.

It was just my luck. I found more embarrassment in my quest to avoid embarrassment. Typical Bella Swan.

I was too mentally exhausted to be embarrassed by telling the nurse why I was sick. She ordered me to lay down on the bench and she placed a cold cloth over my forehead.

"Do you think you will be up for your 6th hour class?" the kindly nurse asked.

I checked the clock. Forty minutes until this period would be over with. I'm sure nothing nausea provoking would be awaiting me in Advanced English 12. That was my favorite class of the day.

"Yes. I should be fine," I nodded.

She smiled at me and carried on filing papers and stamping some folders that cluttered her desk.

I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I desperately tried to think about something, anything other than Edward Cullen. My endeavor was entirely counterproductive, though, because as all things in life - when trying to avoid it, it only multiplied.

I knew that I shouldn't think about him, though. As ashamed as I was to admit it, even to myself, Tanya scared the shit out of me. She was a figure of power in hundred-dollar heels at this school. If she wanted to inflict embarrassment upon you, she could do it easily.

"_If you're not there in Bio, Mr. Banner might make me partner with that loser who sits in the back. Do you know what that would do to my image? You're so lucky Mr. Banner let you switch lab partners this year, imagine if you had to be partnered with her."_

_I cringed as I overheard Tanya. It wasn't often that she referred to me in any way. She rarely looked past her designer shoes and nail beds enough to even notice me. She could make fun of me all she wanted, as long as it was from a distance. I doubted she even knew my name, but still… the comment hurt. I ignored her as best as I could and tuned their table out._

_I pushed around a cherry tomato in my salad for several minutes, absently considering what I would make for supper that night until a raised voice caught my attention. _

"_Why do you insist on being such a bitch?" Edwards voice had a suddenly violent tone to it. _

"_Excuse me?" I heard Tanya retort coldly. _

"_Is there a specific reason why you insist on acting like a complete snob all the time, apart from the fact that you are one?" _

"_What the fuck is your problem?" she hissed._

"_You are my problem," Edward growled viciously. _

"_Well then why don't you leave if you have such a problem with me?" she mocked. "Of course, where the hell would you go?"_

"_Is that a challenge?" I started to cringe as I listened to the defensive tone his voice took._

"_Anything is a challenge for you." she jested. I was uncertain what point she was trying to make with that statement. Edward was far from 'challenged'. _

_The table fell silent, then. I wasn't intrigued by the silence until it had spread to the rest of the cafeteria. Slowly, I brought my gaze upward. Everyone was staring. I followed their gaze and felt my heart clench in my chest. Edward Cullen was walking toward me…_

_I felt the heat spring into my cheeks, likely turning them a vivid shade of red. _

_No, I must have been dreaming. Grudgingly, I rolled up the sleeve of my shirt and pinched myself, hard. _

"_Ouch." I mumbled, internally cursing as my dream theory was shattered. Realizing that I was in fact in reality, I felt suddenly ill. _

_Please don't let me throw up on Edward Cullen, please, please, please…_

"Are you sure you're feeling alright honey?" The nurse abruptly drew me out of my reverie. "You still look a little pale."

Even thinking about it had made me sick with nerves again. How weak.

"No, I'm fine," I promised her.

"Okay, but if you are still feeling sick by in thirty minutes, I'm sending you straight home," she warned. I nodded my head once and closed my eyes again, seeking some kind of peace.

As soon as I closed my eyes, though, Edward's face swam before me. An imperfect recollection of perfection embodied in a single teenage boy. It was pathetic, really. I had never paid enough attention to consider him attractive before. Sure, I knew that every other girl in that school would die to go out with him, and those who had were legends, but I had never been that way. Maybe it was because I knew that it was useless to want something you could never have.

That was still true now, wasn't it? I could never have Edward Cullen. He couldn't possibly like me. I wouldn't believe that until he said it himself… and if that were ever to happen, I'm sure I would still harbor some pretty intense doubts.

I was too inexperienced to be able to identify what another, more typical teenage girl would consider as signs. I would continue to believe that this coffee -not date, I didn't want to even think the word date, that word implied other feelings and allowing myself to even consider such blasphemous things- would result in almost certain disappointment.

There was no possible way that Edward could like me. I was a freak.

"_Because," his voice was like melted butter. I felt my mind wrap around the dulcet tones of his speech as he met my eyes with an intimidating sincerity. "I don't think you're a freak." _

_I felt the thousands of butterflies in my stomach heave a great sigh and I felt my shoulders drop a little as I bit my lip, contemplating how I could possibly respond to that. Before I could, though, the bell rang. I grabbed my tray instinctually and stood from the table. _

"_Listen," he said quickly. "I'm going on a camping trip right now. I'll be back on Friday. Are you free after school then?" _

"_Oh, umm…" Damn it. I was free. "Yeah… I'm-"_

"_Great! Coffee, then?" _

"_Oh, sure…" I choked out, incredulous. He was still serious about the coffee thing?_

"_Excellent, I'll see you Friday!" he grinned, dazzling me momentarily with his perfect smile. _

"_Yeah… er, bye," I stammered, still thoroughly confused as I headed toward the garbage can, trying really hard not to trip as I glanced back over my shoulder at his receding form._

"Isabella?"

I opened my eyes and squinted at the bright light.

"It's almost time for your next class," the nurse informed me, gently helping me to sit up on the bench. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine, thanks." I stood and handed her the ice pack and washcloth, giving her a weak smile before stepping forward toward the door. Thankfully, my knees didn't give out on me and I made a convincing enough show of sturdiness so that she let me pass by her and out into the administration office without complaint. Mrs. Goff smiled at me as I walked by. I stole a glance at the clock and found that I had one minute before the bell would ring. The faster I could get to my locker now, the more stares I would avoid.

Hurriedly, I made it to my locker and managed to select the correct books and slam it shut just as the bell rang, issuing forth a surge of students that filled up the hallway like a dam. I slipped into my English class unnoticed and took my seat in the back of the room. Normally I liked my last two classes of the day… but I found myself far too distracted to pay much attention today, and instead awaited the final ticks of the clock and the last bell that would release the students.

EPOV

_Her hair smelled like strawberries. I knew because among the heavy scent of coffee in the café, the slight breeze from the momentarily open door had blown her hair in just the right way for the fruit smell to break through the cloud of mochas and cappuccinos. _

"_I guess so," she said softly, catching her lower lip between her perfect white teeth. _

_What had I asked her again? I was distracted by her hair and had forgotten. Oh, right, I had asked her if she was excited to graduate._

"_What are you going to study?" I continued. _

"_Oh… um, I'm not sure," she frowned. _

_I hadn't really heard what she said, though. I was too distracted by her full, perfect lips. Suddenly, an urge overwhelmed me. Before I knew what I was doing, I had leaned across the table and pressed my own lips over hers. She froze for a moment, but eventually, her tense shoulders relaxed and I felt her slide a hand up the back of my neck and tangle it in my hair… _

…_and then…_

_She slapped me._

"Ow!" I sat up quickly, my sleeping bag shrugging off of my shoulders. It only took me a second to realize that I had been dreaming. It was dark, but I still felt myself blush. I was dreaming of Bella Swan? No… worse, I was dreaming of _kissing_ Bella Swan.

But I obviously wasn't dreaming anymore. I had been abruptly awoken by…

"Are you finished?" Alice's voice hissed from the darkness beside me.

I let my eyes adjust for a moment before whispering back, "Huh?"

"Any louder and you would have had all sorts of wildlife coming around looking for the source of the wounded animal noises." I could almost hear her roll her eyes as she said it.

"What?"

"Actually, I don't think they were animal noises… they might have been moans. It was hard to tell. Though, now that I think about it, they probably were moans because I'm pretty sure I heard you say Bella a couple of times."

"What!?" I repeated, much more urgently this time.

"Oh my God…" she groaned, realization hitting her. "You were having a wet dream, weren't you? UGH! My own brother, in the same tent as me! That's sick, Edward. I can't believe you."

"I wasn't having a… a what?" I frowned.

"A wet dream. Do you seriously not know what that is?"

"No, Alice.. I don't."

"Well to put it in terms you can understand," she whispered viciously. "It's when you ignore your penis for so long that it starts to plot its revenge on you."

"What the hell are you saying?" I hissed.

"You were dreaming about doing dirty things with Isabella Swan," she accused snappily.

"No I was not!" I defended myself. "I wasn't… it wasn't dirty."

"Then why were you moaning her name?"

"I was… we were just having coffee.."

"And you were moaning her name in the middle of a café? Was she perchance naked in this café? Or maybe she was under the table-"

"Alice!" I growled.

"Well then why were you moaning?" she repeated.

"Because I was kissing her," I finally groaned in defeat.

Alice was silent for a moment before scoffing, "Boy, when you dream you really go all out don't you?"

"Shut up, Alice."

"Awe," she crooned suddenly, "Edward's first kiss with his dream girl and it happens in dream. How fitting."

I slipped the pillow out from behind my back and swung it toward her face, muffling her next embarrassing comment and turning it into a "Hey! Asshole!" instead.

"You mocking me is in no way helping the situation." I mumbled.

"I have license to mock you. I was just woken up by my brother moaning a girl's name in his sleep and it wasn't even for good reason."

"What do you mean it wasn't for good reason," I questioned.

"I would have understood moaning like that if you were getting laid, although… I can't imagine how a virgin could have a convincing sex dream…"

"Alice!" I hissed again.

"I'm just saying, people don't usually moan like that over just a little kiss."

"Are you done picking on me yet?" I mumbled quietly.

"It's my job to pick on you."

"And it's my job to make your life difficult by telling Esme that you're the reason that her birth control patches mysteriously disappeared from her purse, but you don't see me doing that, do you?" I snapped.

"Point well taken," she replied quietly.

We fell silent for a moment and I was hopeful that the conversation was over, but Alice broke the silence again with a new topic.

"So where are you taking her tomorrow?"

Tomorrow. The word sent my stomach into a series of hazardous acrobatics.

"I'll probably end up taking her to that café on Third Street that you mentioned before," I sighed.

"Oh." Alice was quite a considerable amount more subdued now. It was a vast improvement from her usual obnoxious and energetic self. "You know, they do have really good cheesecake there," she continued. "Maybe I'll stop by there on my way back from school on Friday, too…"

"Fine!" I snapped quickly, causing Alice to jump a little in surprise. "I'll bring you home a damn piece of cheesecake." It was almost scary how well she could manipulate people. So much for subdued Alice.

"Raspberry, please," she grinned triumphantly.

"You're a pain in my ass," I growled.

"Yes, but you love me anyways," she sang, still smiling. "If you would stop making such a huge effort to ignore me and actually listen once and a while, you might be able to learn a thing or two from me."

"What could I possible learn from you?" I scoffed. "Apart from what shade of nail stuff looks best with each shirt I own."

"Oh please, you and I both know that I am far more experienced than you are."

"Oh, for the love of… No, Alice. If that's the advice you are trying to give me, I would much rather we talked about nail paint."

"Polish."

"Whatever!"

She was silent for a moment, but I knew better at this point to mistake her hesitation for submission. Sure enough, several seconds later, she retorted with a new round of excuses.

"Don't you want Bella to like you, though?"

"Of course I do, Alice, but that has nothing to do with-"

"Yes it does!" she insisted, bouncing a little in excitement. "Let's face it, Edward, the way you're going, you're never going to get laid."

"That's not what this is about, Alice," I ground out.

"What?"

"That's not my motivation for liking her."

"Of course not. Did I say that?" she snapped. "But you can't tell me that you haven't thought about it."

"I… again, Alice, that's not the point."

"_My_ point is that you have been with a decent number of girls date wise. Certainly more than one would expect of a virgin."

"Why must every conversation center around that. Why can't we talk about bunnies or politics for God's sake?"

"Shut up, Ed, I'm not done," she scolded. "You've never been past second base with any of those girls. Is that because you just didn't want to or because you just suck at making out, I don't know. That's your business. What I'm saying is that… you want things with Bella to be different, right?"

"Right," I mumbled.

"Well then you obviously need to change your methods if you're ever going to have a chance with her."

"I don't have a chance with her anyways," I protested.

"Bullshit. You're Edward Cullen. You could have whoever you want… until you screw it up with your lack of make-out skills, but that's another matter entirely."

Even through the dark of the tent, I knew that she could see my open mouthed dumbfounded stare.

"What?" she shrugged, "I just tell it like it is."

"No you don't. You have never kissed me before, have you. Well, not like that, anyways. So you don't know how it is."

I couldn't believe I had just spoken those words. We were both silent for several seconds until we both crinkled our noses in disgust and muttered a single "Ew," before letting the point drop.

"Edward, I am your sister. I want you to be happy," she started again. "All I am offering is a few… you know, tips. I am a girl, you know. I know what girls want."

"Bella's not like most girls," I argued.

"That's an understatement," she mumbled. I shot her a warning glare and she lifted her hands in surrender, "I'm just saying…"

I turned my head back down towards the sleeping bag and pretended to be interested in it as Alice continued.

"Just… listen to her when she talks. Don't stare at her boobs. Don't compliment her if it's a lie, either. Girls can tell. Open doors for her, pull out chairs for her… Chivalry is _not_ dead. Chivalry is sexy."

It was at that point that I stopped listening. I didn't need these tips. I already held open doors and avoided eye contact with boobs and all of the above.

_Why was I so hopeless when it came to dating then?_

_Shit. Maybe I really did suck at making out…_

Almost as if she had read my mind, "And when you kiss her, don't forget to swallow. There is nothing worse than a sloppy-"

"Alice," I cut her off. "This isn't what I need right now."

"You're right," she frowned. "Sex, then?" So, the first thing you need to remember is that-"

"Alice!" I groaned, clapping my hands over my ears.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Out of every possible conversation in this world, this is the one I would like to have the least."

"Yeah, but… how are you going to know what the hell you are doing? You're too inexperienced to have a decent trial run. The last thing you want to do is put you-"

"No!" I half shouted, lunging to place my hand over Alice's mouth. "Just stop." I pleaded.

"Fine," she mumbled behind my hand while she rolled her eyes.

"Ouch!" I yelped, pulling my hand away from her mouth quickly. "You bit me."

"You put your hand there. And by the way, biting is not always a bad thing."

"I swear to God, Alice. I'm going to kick your little ass."

"Alright, alright, I'm done. If it makes you that uncomfortable I'll just ask Jazz to talk to you instead."

"No, Alice. Just… no. Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do in a very disturbing and weird way, but it's not necessary."

"That's what you think," she mumbled. "What time is it?"

I noticed as I grabbed for my cell phone that it was a considerable amount brighter now than when I had been abruptly awoken.

"Nearly seven," I informed her.

"Damn," she cursed. "Well I'm not going back to sleep now. Want to help me make mom and dad breakfast and start taking down camp?" she suggested.

"As long as the prior conversation is dropped completely," I allowed with a shrug.

"Fine. I won't bring it up again," she submitted grudgingly.

Making breakfast in the middle of the woods was definitely a difficult task. Alice started the fire while I retrieved the packet of bacon from the cooler. It was tradition that on the last morning of our camping trips we would have bacon and eggs before leaving for home. Our family camping trips were a tradition in themselves, but in Forks, the weather rarely allowed for them. Whenever there was a clear forecast for several days we would pack up and leave, weekend or not. With both of my parents being doctors, they were scarce at home, so they took every opportunity to spend "family bonding time" hiking and pitching camp in the many forests surrounding the Olympic Peninsula.

I grabbed the pan out of our camping bag and situated the bacon in it and held it over the fire, turning the individual slices of bacon over to make sure they were thoroughly cooked. Alice handed me several paper plates when the bacon was ready. I separated it into four neat piles as Alice took the pan and held it over the fire for me to crack eggs into it. Overall, it went alright. There was only one egg yolk casualty, which was a slight improvement from my usual results.

Esme and Carlisle climbed out of their tent just as Alice finished with the eggs and I finished taking down our tent.

"Now this is the way to wake up," my mother grinned, stretching her arms above her head. "A mountain top view of the sunrise and already prepared breakfast."

We all ate in silence as the sun made its way over the horizon and up into the sky. Carlisle, Esme, and Alice all made comments about the serenity of the moment, but even considering appreciating the sun's beauty made me think of Bella and how unappreciated her beauty was.

"Edward?"

I started and looked up at my mother who was now crouched down beside me. "What?" I recovered quickly."We're getting ready to leave. Are you all set to go?"

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Are you okay, baby?" she asked, concern lines creasing her forehead. "You seem distracted."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I nodded again, hopping to my feet.

She gave me a disbelieving smile and put her arm around my shoulder as we started back toward the rising smoke cloud of the recently extinguished fire.

The hike back to the vehicle was long, but somewhat peaceful. None of us really talked much, which was a huge feat for Alice. It was unfortunate, though, because it left me far too much time to think about Isabella Swan.

The ride back into Forks was relatively quiet too. Alice was texting Jasper the entire time and my mother and father were talking about work. I just stared out the window at the graying skies. The weather had been quite cooperative while we were camping. It only sprinkled lightly for a total of about 30 minutes the entire trip. Now, however, it looked like the rain clouds were getting ready to rear their ugly heads again.

I sat up once I heard my name called, "Yeah?" I looked around, startled to see that we were already at our driveway, stopped next to the mailbox.

"I've got the check from the insurance company here," my father said. "Are you up for car shopping today? There's still about four hours 'til the car dealerships close."

"Yeah, definitely!" I nodded my head vigorously. "I don't know how much longer I can stay sane driving with Alice.. OW."

"Al, quit beating up your brother," Esme sighed indifferently from the front seat like it was an everyday occurrence. "Gee, thanks ma," I rolled my eyes.

"Do you know what kind of car you want?" my dad asked as he pulled into the garage.

"A Volvo. I liked my other car. I was happy with it."

"You want a newer model?"

"Whatever model they have there."

"Well that's easy enough. We shouldn't have any problems. I'd say it's safe to assume you'll be driving your own vehicle to school tomorrow."

"There is a God," I sighed, dodging another one of Alice's fists and ducking out of the car quickly.

One of my favorite things about my father was that he was not a procrastinator. When there was something to be done, he got it done immediately. It only took 20 minutes for him to unpack the truck and hop into his Mercedes with me. Another 40 minutes later I was looking at my new car.

It was a Volvo C30. Not exactly like my previous car, but similar enough to appease me. It was the same color. Several years newer, though. It had a 6 disc changer and plenty of space. A sunroof, which my other car did not have. Bucket seats, power locks, climate control, navigation system, satellite radio. I would definitely have to thank Bella for having a truck that could completely destroy my old vehicle. This new car was so much cooler than I had expected. And it was only three thousand dollars more than what we had gotten back from insurance for my first car. I was extremely grateful that Carlisle was so generous. He didn't even flinch at the extra money.

"This is the one, then?" the pushy car salesman asked enthusiastically.

Carlisle and I looked at each other for a moment and both nodded.

"Great, I'll draw up the paperwork."

"Looks like you'll have a car for tomorrow morning," my father smiled, clapping me on the shoulder as we turned to walk into the building following the salesman.

"Harvey," a young woman in a business suit called out as we entered. "There's a boy here to talk to you about some parts… He said you were expecting him. I sent him to your office to wait."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Give me just one moment to take care of this young man and then I will get right with you," Harvey smiled.

When I heard the word office, I was expecting something akin to a cubicle with four walls or an actual room with a desk and swivel chair. Instead it was just a counter. No chairs, just standing space. Leaned up against the counter, waiting patiently, was a young boy who looked to be about 16 or 17. He was lean and discreetly muscular. He looked like a native from the reservation. He glanced at me once as we approached and cocked his head to the side thoughtfully before blinking away whatever speculation he had made and turning to address Harvey, who was now behind the desk.

"I'll be right with you in a moment Mr. Cullen," Harvey smiled, turning his attention on the native boy who had frozen at his words and turned slowly. His eyes seemed to darken exponentially and it looked like his muscles in his face had clenched.

He stared at me for a moment with such rage in his glare that it almost intimidated me. I was about to ask him what his problem was when the salesman addressed him and he snapped his gaze back to the front.

I shrugged it off and stuffed my hands into my pockets, patiently waiting. If there was anyone who deserved to be glaring in this situation, it was me. This boy who seemed to host some violent anger towards me was the only thing standing in the way of me and my new car.

Sensing my anxiety, Carlisle stepped in with some small talk.

"So, Alice mentioned something about you having a date tomorrow."

"Did she?"

_She's dead._

"Indeed. Who's the girl?"

"I'm going to kill Alice," I muttered.

"Your sister was very excited for you. I don't think there's any reason you should murder her."

"She can't keep anything to herself."

"That's not true," he shook his head. "She wouldn't tell me the name of the girl."

"Wow, go Alice," I mumbled sarcastically.

Carlisle chuckled and jabbed his elbow lightly into my ribcage. "That was your cue to tell me what her name was, not make another crack at your sister."

I sighed and made a show of being seriously inconvenienced before finally saying "Bella Swan," under my breath.

"Isabella Swan?" he repeated for confirmation.

"Yes, but she prefers Bella."

"Chief Swan's daughter?"

"Yes."

"Whoa," he smiled slightly. "You'd better be careful with that one. Her dad has a gun," he winked.

"Dad, come on.." I scuffed my toe against the cheap rubber floor tiles. "It's not a date, anyway."

"What is it then?"

"It's a…" I hesitated for a moment, but stopped dead when I glanced back up at the native boy's piercing gaze yet again.

Carlisle followed my stare and frowned in confusion.

I was about to ask him if there was something he needed when Harvey cleared his throat. The boy spun around violently and accepted the envelope he was being offered.

"Thank you for the business, Mr. Black. Have a good evening," Harvey offered, to which the boy responded with an uncouth, "Hmmph," and rushed past us and out the door.

Black, what a fitting last name. He did seem rather dark as far as personality went.

"Well then," Carlisle and I returned out attention to Harvey as he addressed us. "Let's get you a car, son."

I was too annoyed at "Mr. Black's" behavior to allow myself to dwell on the fact that the salesman had just called me "son". Usually that annoyed me. The only person I wanted to call me son was my father. I hated when other people took the privilege without earning it. Had the salesman been present through my first steps, first words, and first days of school? Had he been there for me when I broke my head open jumping off of a roof? Had he imparted years worth of wisdom on me? No. The only person who could call me son was my father.

I was completely disconnected from what was going on until Carlisle beckoned me closer to the counter so that I could donate my signature to some of the papers. 30 minutes and half a forest worth of paperwork later, we were waiting in the front of the dealership for them to bring around my car.

"So, tell me more about Bella," Carlisle urged.

"Dad, come on… no," I protested, embarrassed.

"I just spent an extra 3 grand to get you a new car. The least you can do is tell me about this girl."

Damn it. I knew that would somehow come back to haunt me. I couldn't argue with that. He hadn't denied me anything today, so why should I deny him…

"What's there to tell?" I sighed in resignation.

"What's she like? What do you like about her? Do you think she likes you? Come on, give me something to work with here. I'm not around enough to invade your personal life to the extent that most parents get to. I've got a few moments to talk girls with my son; don't just leave me hanging here."

I sighed again and jammed my hands back into my pockets. I didn't know how to talk about this with my father. I had never really had anything like this to talk about before and it seemed so… awkward. I'm sure plenty of kids talked to their parents about stuff like this. That had just never been me….

"I… she's…" I scowled.

"You're blushing," my father chuckled.

"Shutup." I diverted my eyes.

He was silent for a moment before, "You really like her." It was an observation, not a question.

"Yes."

"She must be really special."

"She is," I nodded. "She's modest and humble and… she really has no idea how amazing she is."

"Do you?"

I nodded, "She's smart… and beautiful. But not beautiful in the obnoxious "look at me" kind of way. She's subtly beautiful. She could be one of the most popular girls in the school based just on her looks alone, but she doesn't care… so she doesn't try. She's content to sit in the back of the class and make observations rather than have the observations made about her. She smells like strawberries and her eyes are the most amazing shade of brown I've ever seen. She isn't superficial. She doesn't judge people. When I talked to her… I felt more myself than I've ever been able to feel in the presence of someone else. She makes me feel comfortable. It's like… it's like getting home after a long day and crawling into bed. You know? You just feel content… That's how she makes me feel. She makes me feel content. When I'm with her I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. I hardly know her though. I want to know her so much better than I do. I want her to know me. I don't know how she feels about me right now though. She likes to be unnoticed, so I'm nervous that that's going to make her stay away from me." I realized after I had said it all that none of it was meant to come out. I felt myself blush harder and I looked away.

Thankfully, Carlisle was a pro at handling situations like this. Instead of drawing further attention to my embarrassment, he nodded supportively and said, "Don't let this one get away. I've never seen you so serious about someone."

"I just don't know how to be close to her without making her uncomfortable."

"If she feels about you even a quarter of the way you feel for her, I'm sure a little bit of attention wouldn't deter her."

I nodded glumly. I was about to mention something else when my new, shiny, silver Volvo pulled around the corner. I couldn't help but smile. The young boy jumped out of the driver seat and held out the keys to me.

"See you at home," my father smiled, reaching into his pockets for his own keys.

"Yeah," I nodded, getting into my car.

"Oh, and Edward," he added, turning around to face me again.

"Yes?"

"Drive safe."

* * *

Hey guyssssss.

I was totally going to write this really elaborate fake chapter that had Bella finding a dog and naming it Nessie and then Jacob proclaiming his love for her and when he came over to discuss it he fell in love with her dog instead and then spring the April Fools on you in the end, but I totally lacked the time to write that out. Instead, you get the real chapter.

Practice safe interwebz surfing on this dastardly April Fools. I don't want nun mah bbz getting that crappy virus thing now. NO CONFICKER NONSENSE FOR JOO!

anywaysss,

I'm quite fond of reviews.

Also, some people pointed out that Alice seems a bit cold? IDK IDK! This was not my intention. I wanted the Alice Edward relationship to seem cutesy. But siblings fight and roll their eyes at each other and punch each other playfully, right? I HAVE SIBLINGS! IT'S WHAT WE DO! oh shit... we're just weird, aren't we...

anyways, yeah. That review thing. You should do itt.

also, Jill, Kaitlyn, Marlana, Stephanie and Sam... you are my life now. I love you all. You've kept me sane and stole my keys when I wanted to go to Volterra. For this I am eternally grateful.


	8. Chapter 8

life has been hectic lately, sorry for the delay. this is a very long chapter to make up for my absence. I hope you're ready for some extreme b/e interaction. ;)

* * *

BPOV

As the week wore on, the stares eventually died down. Tuesday and Wednesday were rough days, but by lunchtime on Thursday, Mike Newton had gotten hung on the school sign out front by his underwear, so the attention was no longer on me. Despite the almost normal settings for which I went to school on Thursday, I was still uneasy. I couldn't explain it to myself, either. I couldn't decide whether I felt anxious because Edward wasn't in school today, or nervous because I knew he would be tomorrow.

Either way, I was screwed up.

"Bella?" I snapped my head up to meet Mr. Banner's eyes. It was before class began and I was the only student in the classroom so far. "Don't forget to stay after class tomorrow and make up your frog dissection lab. The lab practical is on Monday, so you can't miss it."

Shit. I nodded twice and went back to toying with the hem of my shirt as other students started filing in the classroom.

The day dragged on, just like the prior two days. All I wanted was to get home and lay in bed with my iPod blaring. I knew I couldn't, and that's what made the day all the more difficult to tolerate. I had to go to work and then make supper and finish my homework and then lay in bed and think about Edward like I had been for the past three days. I had finally just given up on trying not to think about him. It was like "The Game." The more you tried not thinking about it… the more you thought about it. There was no way to beat the game, so you might as well surrender to the inevitable thoughts before even causing yourself the trouble of failure.

"I just lost the game," I mumbled aloud to the empty library. It was the rules that you had to state it out loud or in conversation when you thought about the game. So what if that made me seem even more idiotic than before. I had resigned myself to my obvious abnormalities long ago.

I glanced at the clock and sighed. Twenty minutes until I could leave. I had already exhausted every opportunity to keep myself busy for the night. I had dusted things that didn't need dusting. I had swept the floor. I had reshelved the returned books and turned off all of the computers. I had sent out the emails and letters to those with overdue books. I had even changed the light bulbs in the lamps. As much as I enjoyed my job, it certainly wasn't very exciting.

I stopped at the gas station on my way home. It was the same gas station I always stopped at. In fact, it was one of the only two gas stations in town. The other one was several miles away. I had only been to that one when I was driving to and from Port Angeles. I tapped my foot impatiently, keeping time with the steady pulses of the gasoline through the nozzle and into my truck. I hated this gas station. It was untidy and could use a good scrub down. It seemed like the kind of setting where murders happened in horror movies or something. I wondered idly how many people got away with driving off without paying in this gas station. The usual attendant, who happened to be working that day, was a very old and weathered looking man named Barney who was often asleep at the counter with the televisions switched off of the surveillance channel and instead on an old western channel. Someone should teach this man the magic of picture-in-picture technology. I cleared my throat as I stepped up to the counter. He started and blinked furiously as he put his feet back on the floor and checked the time.

"Evening Miss Swan," he grumbled quickly. "What pump?"

"Three," I informed him.

"Eh?" he leaned his ear toward me, beckoning for me to speak up.

"Pump three," I repeated, louder this time.

"Oh, okay," he nodded, checking the computer screen and then reading my total off to me.

I already had the proper change ready, and I dropped it into his palm and waited for him to sort out the bills with a shaky hand.

"Thank you, miss. You have a great evening. Tell your father I said hi."

"Will do, Barney. Take care," I sighed, excusing myself quickly before he started trying to rope me into small talk like he usually did.

"Hi Bella." A voice startled me as I reached for my truck handle. I whirled and saw Jacob standing several paces away next to his vehicle.

"Jake, hi," I breathed. "You scared me."

"Sorry," he chuckled.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked, walking away from my truck and towards him.

"Oh, I was working today, and then I dropped off some of the Clearwater's fish fry to your house. I stuck around and waited for you for a little bit, but then Charlie fell asleep in the chair and I felt weird staying there.."

I chuckled, "Yeah, that's Charlie for you. What were you working on? Did you find a job?"

"Yeah." He bobbed his head. "I'm working for an auto shop. My job is to go around and deliver parts to dealerships and such."

"That's awesome! Congratulations!" I grinned at him. "What are you doing here, though?" The gas pump clicked and I glanced at the numbers displayed on the box as he replaced the nozzle in its holder.

"Only five dollars worth, Jake?" I raised my eyebrows suspiciously. "Isn't gas usually much cheaper on the reservation anyways?"

He shrugged and quickly changed the subject, "So how have you been?"

"I'm fine."

"That Cullen boy still bugging you?" His eyes flicked to the ground.

"He's not bugging me."

"Is he still talking to you?"

"Yes. He ate lunch with me on Monday," I replied honestly. As much as I didn't want Jake to be mad at me about this, he had no right to be. I wasn't going to lie about it just so that he didn't get upset. He had no reason to be upset in the first place.

"Why?"

"Thanks, Jake," I rolled my eyes.

"What?"

"Are you implying that there is no reason anyone would want to eat lunch with me?"

His face fell, "No! I'm… no, not at all. I'm just… I mean… you're not friends with him or anything, right?" he stammered.

"I don't know. We never used to be, but.."

"But what?"

"Why does it matter?" I frowned. "Am I not allowed to have friends aside from you?"

"Of course you are… it's just… I don't see him as someone with decent intentions."

"Are you insinuating that he would have indecent intentions?" My frown deepened.

"Yes, maybe.." he mumbled. "I just don't see why he would have a sudden interest in you."

"Well thank you for further confirming to me that I am uninteresting and not a worthwhile friend," I rolled my eyes teasingly.

"Bella, you know that's not what I mean."

"I know what you mean. I don't know why he wants to hang out around me either, but he hasn't done anything to make me refuse him."

"Is it true that you're going out with him tomorrow?" he spoke so quietly that I thought I had misunderstood him for a moment.

"What?" I exhaled.

"Aren't you going out with him tomorrow?"

"How did you know about that?" I demanded.

"I just… heard it."

"Where?"

"I don't want him to hurt you," he said quietly, staring down at the ground.

"I'm not going to get hurt," I promised him. "Where did you hear that, though?"

"How do you know you wont get hurt?" he continued, still avoiding my question.

"Well, it's pretty much impossible for me to become any more embarrassed than I was when he sat with me. As far as I can tell he's not a mass murderer, so I don't think I'm in any real danger. Except for Tanya, if looks could kill I would have been dead several times already." I shrugged, trying to lighten the mood with humor. "Besides, it's not a date, and I can't even go anyways. I have to make up a Bio lab."

"Just… don't fall for him, okay?" he squinted at the ground for a moment and then smoothed his features, looking up at me and pleading with his eyes.

"You're being ridiculous, Jake," I scoffed. "I am not going to discuss this topic any further. I have to get home and do some homework. Thank you for bringing over the fish fry. It will save me from having to cook tonight."

He nodded once and then glanced toward the building. "Is Barney awake today?"

"He wasn't when I went in, but I woke him up. If you're lucky he'll still be awake."

He nodded again and smiled slightly, "Okay. See you around, Bells."

"Later, Jake. Tell Billy I said hello."

"Will do."

As I got in my car and drove off, I suddenly had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

How had Jake known about the planned coffee… event? I hadn't told anyone. Granted, I didn't have anyone to tell. If Edward told one of his friends… it would be all over the school by tomorrow. People would be talking about it… no doubt..

"Shit," I cursed out loud. "This is just not my week."

I forced myself to erase the look of discomfort as I rushed myself through the evening. Charlie was so excited about the fish fry that he barely noticed, and because he ate on a paper plate in front of the television, I had no dishes, nor any obligation to sit at the table and pretend to be relaxed.

I ate alone in my bedroom, my foot tapping anxiously on the ground as I searched for something online to distract myself with. I ended up watching several inane videos on frog dissection on youtube to prepare myself for the unavoidable embarrassment that would surely come tomorrow. I knew I was doomed. Even watching it second hand through the internet made me feel slightly ill. Sighing, I shut my laptop and deposited my plate and fork in the garbage and sink downstairs before deciding to just shower and turn in early. I bid a hasty goodnight to Charlie who mumbled something about the weather in response. Shaking my head in wonder, I climbed the stairs and went about preparing for bed.

In an absurd attempt to keep thoughts of Edward Cullen out of my head, I began reciting the periodic table of elements to myself as I showered.

"Antimony, Arsenic, Aluminum, Selenium, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Rhenium…"

I made it through the entire list three times before I realized that I had been failing the whole time. It was like reading a book and not actually paying attention to the words. I had been reciting something that was so dually memorized by this point in my life that it took no real concentration. Instead of focusing on what element came next, I had thought about last years chemistry class when I had learned it all. Edward had been sitting three rows ahead of me and two seats to the left. His lab partner had been Jasper Hale.

Scowling at my own failure, I put my shower supplies away and shuffled back into the bedroom, toweling my hair as I went.

Despite my pessimistic outlook on the situation, I proved myself wrong by not dreaming of Edward Cullen that night. I guess I had been more afraid of the dissection, because instead I dreamt of a large frog with sickly pale dripping skin and a wide open incision across his stomach chasing me through a field of chess pieces. I was highly confused and not the least bit rested and reassured when I awoke in the morning. My nerves were literally making me feel sick to my stomach at this point, but because of the lab practical scheduled on Monday, I knew I couldn't skip school that day. I valued my grades too much.

Fortunately, I encountered no giant frogs on my way to school. I did however encounter Edward Cullen. I didn't necessarily encounter him directly, but I knew he would be in school that day as I followed a brand new Volvo C30 with paper registration into the parking lot. I didn't end up bumping into him as we entered the actual school building, or throughout the first half of the day at all… but just the fact that I knew he was there was enough to heighten my anxiety.

Throughout the previous week I had noticed that the stares had died down. I was almost completely invisible again. I would have been extremely content with my return to wallflower life, but I knew it was only fleeting. What I was about to do would completely throw me under the spotlight again.

Damn it.

I slammed the door of my locker and dug in my pocket for the ten dollars I had put there for lunch this morning before I had left. I hoped desperately that my plan to approach his lunch table wouldn't draw as much attention to me as him visiting my lunch table did. All I needed was to stop for the briefest moment . I already knew what I was going to say: "It turns out that I have to make up a Biology lab after school today, so I don't think I can make coffee." Simple. Painless…ish. He surely wouldn't offer to wait around for me, right?

Emmett Forester and his girlfriend, Rosalie, fell into the line of students entering the cafeteria directly ahead of me then, and a new fear crept up to accompany my already out of control nerves. Maybe I shouldn't mention the plans for coffee in front of his friends. Maybe he had been too embarrassed to tell them. I wouldn't blame him for wanting to keep any interaction with me, even if it was only out of pity, quiet. Especially with people like Tanya in his group of friends.

Regardless, I knew it needed to be done. As soon as I entered the Cafeteria, I looked past the food courts to his table. Alice and Jasper were there, but not Edward. My heart thudded erratically as I jerked my head to my usual table. Empty. I ignored the absurd feeling of what seemed to be disappointment and proceeded to scan the rest of the room. No sign of him. I quickly fell into line and prepared the same salad I did every day and took my usual seat. All through lunch, he never showed up.

I knew he was here. I had seen him several times in the already this morning. I should have just spoke to him earlier when I saw him standing alone in the hallway. He had appeared to be looking for someone, though, so I decided it would be best not to interrupt him. I had just ducked my head and walked past him inconspicuously.

I barely touched my salad throughout the rest of lunch. I was too distracted by my own anxiety.

I tried to rush to Biology as much as I could in order to ensure the chance to talk to Edward sans audience. Unfortunately for me, today was the one day that Tanya had decided to show up to class before the bell rang. Both Edward and Tanya were present, along with a few other assorted students, when I arrived.

This was my last opportunity to talk to him before the end of the day, so I didn't have the choice to wimp out. I took a deep breath and approached his table.

"Hi Bella," Edward smiled, throwing a tentative glance in Tanya's direction.

"Um.. Hi," I stammered, trying to ignore the piercing glares coming from Tanya. "I, uh.. I missed you at lunch. I was going to tell you… I mean, about this afternoon.." I was making a damn fool of myself.

"Yeah," he cut in apologetically. "I had to make up a Psychology test."

"Oh, that's fine. I just… about tonight.." I heard Tanya's sharp intake of breath and winced internally as I imagined how pissed off she probably was now.

"Oh," he said, throwing a glance at Tanya knowingly.

"I can't make it. I have to make up a lab after school," I explained.

"Oh, ummm.." his face fell. "That's.. alright, yeah. Some other time then."

In my peripheral vision I saw Tanya's head snap to the side, releasing me from her glare and instead aiming it on him. I couldn't help but feel a little bit bad for him. This had probably made much more trouble for him than he ever wanted.

"Okay… uh, bye," I excused myself quickly.

More students were starting to file into the classroom now, and those that had seen me at Edward's table were staring at me with a confused expression. I felt my cheeks burn as I deposited myself into my seat and tried to look like I hadn't just embarrassed the shit out of myself.

Mr. Banner called the class to order as the bell rang.

"Alright, alright. Give me two minutes of your time and then you can get back to your conversations. Your assigned work for this afternoon is the review work on pages 117 to 120." The entire class, with the exception of me, groaned at this. "Furthermore, the lab practical covering the dissection of the common frog will be on Monday, so I highly recommend studying as it is a very weighted grade. While I am thinking of it, Isabella Swan," I winced at my full name and looked up. I couldn't help but feel the sudden weight in my stomach that one always feels when they are singled out in class. No matter how unlikely, I always worried that I was in trouble. "Don't forget that you're expected to stay after to make up the dissection lab after school today." I nodded once. "And Edward, you missed it too, so you'll also have to make it up along with Miss Swan. The practical on Monday cannot be rescheduled for anyone. This goes for the whole class, if you're absent, you can't make it up. It is not-"

I had stopped listening. The last thing I had heard was the name _Edward_ coupled with the phrase "along with Miss Swan".

I felt the blood rush out of my face. A hushed whisper fluttered throughout the class and I heard a few people shift in their chairs to look at me. I slowly lifted my eyes to Edward's table. He was giving me a reassuring smile… and Tanya looked like she wanted to decapitate me. I gulped and gave Edward a weak and uncertain smile in return before looking down at my desk again as Mr. Banner continued his instructions.

I couldn't believe I had been so stupid. Of course Edward would have to make up the lab. He was absent that day, too, though for more justifiable reasons than my own. I resisted the urge to slap my palm repeatedly against my head. I knew people must still be staring.

Two weeks ago, if given the choice, I would have much rather embarrassed myself in front of just one of my fellow students as opposed to the entire class. However, now, I would have rather embarrassed myself in front of the whole rest of the _school_ as opposed to just Edward Cullen.

It was as if fate was playing a cruel intentioned trick on me. This entire week had been a total disaster as far as I was concerned. Just one little car accident and my entire every day routine was set completely out of whack. That barely seemed reasonable.

"So, with that work load, if you'd all still like to continue your private conversations, by all means do so. However, what you don't finish in class will only take away from your weekend activities," Mr. Banner concluded. The next groan that resonated from my classmates was swiftly drown out by the sounds of books opening and papers shuffling as they all abandoned their previous conversations and started to focus on the work. It appeared that I was the only one in class that was thankful for the amount of work Mr. Banner had assigned. It would give me something to keep my mind off of my after school activities that were becoming less and less appealing every minute.

Unfortunately, I was finished with the work long before the rest of the students. I looked around the classroom and found everyone else with their head studiously buried in their text books and their pens scratching steadily across the surface of their paper. All but one. Edward Cullen was relaxed against the back of his chair biting the nail on his thumb out of presumable boredom. I quickly jerked my head back down to my paper and pretended to be working again. I didn't want him to catch me looking at him and I definitely didn't want Mr. Banner to catch both of us with our work finished for fear he would suggest we got an early start on the lab.

As opposed to the rest of the week, which had dragged by at a painfully slow pace, the rest of my Friday afternoon flew past in a flurry of homework assignments and pages of notes. In fact, my final two classes had kept me so occupied that I barely had a spare moment to think about, or rather _dread_, the hour to come.

When I walked back into the Biology classroom, I found Edward and Mr. Banner discussing the lab.

"There's only one frog remaining, so you and Miss Swan will have to make due with that and be temporary lab partners," Mr. Banner informed him as he shuffled around papers on his desk.

"Oh, I'm sure that's quite fine," Edward said with a smile. "Oh!" He noticed me in the doorway and turned to face me, "Hi, Bella."

"Um… hi," I stammered.

Had I heard Mr. Banner correctly? Not only would I have to be performing the lab next to Edward… but I would have to share a frog with him? He would have to be my… my partner?

I hadn't even seen the frog yet and I felt faint.

"Good Afternoon, Miss Swan," Mr. Banner looked up from under his thick glasses at me. "I was just telling Mr. Cullen here that there is only one-" he stopped, straightening his glasses and cocking his head at me. "Are you feeling alright, Isabella. You look pale again."

"Yes.. I'm-" I gulped, "I'm fine."

He tilted his head a little more, a look of concern and disbelief crossing his face.

"I just don't like dissections very much," I admitted, leaving out the part about how I might be more nervous about the Edward aspect of the lab than the frog.

"Well, you might have wanted to consider that before you signed up for this class at the beginning of the year."

"Yeah, I probably should have," I blushed.

"It's okay, Bella. There's only one frog, so I can do the cutting and stuff if you're not comfortable with it.." Edward offered.

I bit my lip, temporarily thrown off by his kind offer. Finally I nodded.

He smiled and turned to collect the dissection pan and tools. I gulped back my fear and began to follow his lead but Mr. Banner cleared his throat pointedly. I turned and looked at him timidly.

"I expect you know that lab partners are supposed to share the work equally. Make sure that you are not benefiting from Edward's work without offering any assistance yourself."

I nodded once, wondering what exactly I was expected to do.

I dug into my backpack and pulled out my Biology lab book and the lab instructions and a pencil before taking a seat next to Edward who was doing the same. I did my best to not look at the frog, though it didn't really help. The scent of formaldehyde hung thick in the air and I had to force my gag reflexes to behave.

"Shoot," I heard Edward mutter under his breath.

"What's wrong?" I asked quickly, hoping that he hadn't cut open his finger with the scalpel.

"I forgot my procedure manual in my locker."

"Oh, that's alright. You can look off of mine," I offered.

We proceeded to fill out the objectives and lab description in our lab books for several minutes before we moved on to the observations section.

"So, it says here that we need to make 5 good observations about the frog based on it's external surfaces," Edward recited from the paper. "Should we start with the head?"

"Okay," I nodded, taking a deep breath and looking down at the sickly looking amphibian before me. It wasn't as bad as I expected it would be, but I knew that once the scissors came out, I would be in trouble.

I leaned in and began studying the animal, trying to regulate my breathing and avoid the disgusting scent as much as I could. Edward followed suit and began studying it too.

"Well, it has a weird eye lid type thing right there…"

"That's called the nictitating membrane," I nodded. "It's used for protecting his eyes underwater and it helps keep them moist on land."

"Well you certainly did your homework," he chuckled. "We can use that as our first observation."

We scribbled down the information and continued looking at the frog.

"He has nostril-like things," I shrugged, not remembering the proper name for them.

"External nares," he corrected. "But essentially they are nostrils. So we can observe that it is an air breathing animal."

I nodded and we wrote it down.

The lab went along with minor glitches for several more moments until we needed to start the internal observations.

Edward read off the procedure and preparations. "We need gloves and goggles," he started.

"I'll get them," I offered quickly, glad to have the opportunity to breathe some formaldehyde free air. The little self confidence I had definitely took a blow when Edward put on his goggles. Even with thick and unattractive protective glasses on, he still looked nothing short of a model. I probably looked like a tiny bug that should be squashed.

"Alright. I can do all the dirty work if you want me too," he suggested as he began reaching for the scissors and the scalpel. It appeared that he intended on doing all that part anyway.

"I mean.." he hesitated and glanced up at me. "If that's alright with you."

"By all means." I raised my hands palm out in a surrender fashion and picked up my pencil.

He flashed me a big smile and set his attention back to the frog before saying, "It's okay. With Tanya as my lab partner I expected to be doing this anyway.."

I bit my lip. Shit, was I being like Tanya? I suddenly felt like a terrible person.

"I… I can try to help if you don't want-"

"No, Bella…" he looked up at me sincerely. "I like doing this kind of stuff. It doesn't bother me. I find it kind of fascinating, actually."

"Oh, okay," I backed down immediately. For several moments I tried to find something to do along the lines of written lab work, but there wasn't anything more I could write until we made our internal observations.

"Ew," I muttered under my breath as I made the mistake of glancing at Edward's progress. He had cut a square area on the frogs stomach and opened it like a door, pinning both flaps to the matting on the tray. At that moment he appeared to be using the scissors to cut upwards into the thorax.

He threw a concerned glance my way, "Are you okay, Bella? You look kind of pale."

"I'm…" I stared, meaning to tell him that I was fine but closing my mouth quickly as a wave of nausea hit me.

"Don't look," he instructed.

"I have to," I mumbled.

"No, just wait until I'm done cutting it open. Maybe that will be easier."

"Okay," I nodded, turning my head and trying to take a deep breath.

I could feel my heart hammering in my chest. I wasn't sure whether that was in response to Edward, or the dead and repulsive frog laying on the table in front of me.

_He's just a boy, Bella. And it's just a dead amphibian. It can't harm you. Quit being such a pansy. It's science. It's education.._

Despite my best attempt, my internal pep talk was not helping at all.

"Okay, Bella," Edward said softly after a moment. "Now we just have to quickly identify everything on this list and then it's all over and the rest is easy sheet work."

"Right," I nodded, willing myself to get over my weak stomach.

"It's really not that bad. Just pretend it's all plastic. That's what Alice says helps her," he suggested.

I nodded, pursing my lips and turning toward him.

"Ew," I repeated.

"Plastic."

"Slimy."

"Touché."

I wrinkled my nose and gulped as I surveyed the small "plastic" frog on the table. It really wasn't that bad. I knew I was overreacting, but it was just natural for me. I hated blood and anything that dealt with hospitals and illnesses and internal organs. Seeing the frogs insides all displayed like that was repulsive to me, but the fact that it was necessary helped me get over my discomfort for a short time. The faster I sucked it up and dealt with the circumstance, the faster I could get that thing out of my sight.

"What's first?" he asked, reaching for the list that I had clenched in my hands. "Heart."

"It's that thing, I think.." I said, picking up a probe and pointing at a dark read blob right below it's throat.

"Yeah, that's it," he confirmed.

"Now the liver."

"There," I pointed again to the largest organ visible. Large, brown, chalky looking… No, not chalky. Plastic.

"Right," he nodded.

"And…. The stomach."

"Umm…that?" I pointed at a small cord-like organ that was visible.

"No, I think that's the small intestine," he frowned. "It says here that the stomach might be behind the liver… so we have to lift up the liver to see the stomach."

"Fabulous," I muttered.

"Can I borrow that?" he gestured toward the probe I had clenched in my hand. I released it to him and watched in horror as he lifted the large lobe of the liver up.

"Ugh," I groaned, quickly turning my head away, a shiver consuming my entire body.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"It's fine," I said in a very unconvincing tone.

"There's the stomach," he said triumphantly.

I turned slowly and peeked at what he was pointing to.

"That J-shaped thing there, that's the stomach. And connected to that is the large intestine, there.." he stuck his finger under the large intestine and lifted it a little bit to better display it for me.

I made another noise that resembled a gag and turned my head again. "Definitely not plastic," I groaned.

He chuckled and lowered the liver back into it's place, returning his attention to the list.

"Lungs."

"There, on either side of the heart," I pointed quickly.

"Right. Bladder?"

"Umm….."

"I think it's that clear looking bubble thing right there," he pointed, touching it with the tip of his finger.

"Sure," I nodded, resisting the urge to ask him not to touch my paper with his bladder tainted finger. I cringed internally as he returned his hand to the paper and dragged his finger down the list to find the next organ to locate.

"Kidney is the last one."

"It's the big red thing behind the bladder and intestines," I said quickly, remembering the information from the textbook. "Are we done now?"

He chuckled, "Yeah, we're done."

"Not so fast," Mr. Banner interjected, coming over to stand at the table. "The rest of the class had to prove to me that they knew what each organ was before I let them dispose of their frog. You can go over it a little more if you would like to. I don't want you using your cheat sheet for it this time through."

"Oh," Edward cocked his head, "We didn't really use the cheat sheet to begin with."

"So I take it you're ready now?"

"Sure," Edward shrugged.

"Miss Swan?" Mr. Banner turned his head toward me.

No. I don't want to have to do that all again, damn it.

I nodded.

He took the probe off the table and began pointing to different organs and waiting. Edward and I took turns answering. We got them all right and Edward triumphantly disposed of the frog.

I was absurdly proud of myself.

I didn't puke. I didn't faint. And I only embarrassed myself a little bit. Maybe the day wasn't such a disaster after all.

We sat in relative silence for the next half hour finishing our lab work and writing the answers to the supplied questions. We both finished at about the same time.

"So, should I drive?"

The question caught me off guard. "Um… what?" I frowned.

"Unless it's too late for coffee and you have to be home," he edited.

"I… well, no. I don't have to be home."

"Great! I can drive then and just drop you off back at your truck afterward, if that's okay.."

My throat suddenly felt extremely dry. So much for making it through the day with minimal embarrassment. Regardless of my better judgment, I knew I couldn't say no. He was being so polite… and so what if it was only out of pity. It would be rude to say no… wouldn't it? Hell, how should I know. I didn't have the slightest clue how to handle situations like this.

I nodded slightly.

He grinned, "Have you ever been to the café over on Third Street?"

"No," I shook my head.

"They have really good coffee," he assured me. "And Alice says they have the best cheesecake around, too…" he added.

"Oh, um… okay. Sounds good," I stammered.

He smiled again. At this point we were stopped in the middle of the hallway. He jerked his head toward the door and began walking. Taking a deep and steadying breath, I turned to follow him.

"Oh, you got a new car," I commented as we stepped through the double doors and into the nearly deserted parking lot."

"Yeah, we picked it up yesterday, actually," he shrugged. "It's the same as before… only, a newer model."

_It must be nice to have so much money._

"That's cool," I said lamely, skirting the shiny silver Volvo. To my great shock and awe, Edward rushed around the car as well and opened the passenger door for me. If that wasn't incredible by itself, he also held out his hand to help me get into the car. In any other case, the steadying hand would most likely be a useless gesture, but being as I was Bella Swan and I couldn't even walk on a solid, flat surface without running the risk of injury… it was more helpful than he might have expected.

"Um, thanks," I stammered. I felt a blush color my cheeks as I recognized his gentlemanly act with great appreciation. He merely smiled in response.

I was very uncertain as to how to react to his constant smiles. It was nice to see him smile, that was obvious… but it was almost annoying how he could completely captivate me with just a simple gesture like that. His perfect grin was, dare I say, dazzling. It had this absurd power to make my heart do all sorts of unhealthy maneuvers. How was I expected to hold a conversation with him when he kept rendering me speechless just by merely flashing me a stunning grin. I was totally without defense in this situation. Embarrassment was imminent. Any attempt at couth was completely futile as long as he was in possession of a tool as paralyzing as that.

Disaster was certain. I would have to change my name and move to Mexico. There was no possible way that I could make it through the rest of the day without him realizing that Tanya was right about me and that I really was a freak. There was a number of things that could go wrong… most likely of which being that I spill my hot coffee on him, or trip and fall on the sidewalk.

At least it was sunny in Mexico.

~~~~EPOV~~~~~

_Think of a topic for conversation. Think of a topic for conversation. Damn it, Edward, you're pathetic. This silence is too awkward. Crap. If I can't even come up with something to talk to on the car ride to the coffee house…. I'm screwed. Think, think… what's a good and non creepy conversation starter. Fuck, I've only been talking to Alice lately so the only conversations I can think of revolve around sex. Bad plan. Music… she likes music. We have that in common, right? I can work with that._

"So…" I started, drumming my thumbs nervously on the steering wheel as I pulled out of the school parking lot. "Heard any good music lately?"

Instant regret.

_I'm such a moron._

"Oh, umm… yeah, actually," she nodded. "Well, I guess not. It's not new. I've recently started listening to the Beatles again, so I'm really big on them right now."

"That's ironic," I raised my eyebrows.

"Oh…"

I pressed the play button on the CD player and Hey Jude began to filter through the speakers.

She smiled, "I love this song."

_I love your smile._

"I've been listening to a lot of Three Day's Grace, too," she added as an afterthought.

"I love them," I nodded. "What's your favorite song?"

"Are You Ready for This," she answered quickly. "It's not one of there most known songs, though."

"I know what one you're talking about," I assured her. "It's not my favorite, but it's a good one. I really like Animal I Have Become for some reason."

"Nice choice," she nodded.

"You like classical type music, right?"

She nodded again.

"Have you ever heard Ludovico Einaudi?"

"No… I haven't."

"He's more modern day instrumental, but it's beautiful," I explained. "Here, I think I have a CD in here somewhere…" I began flipping through the discs in my disc changer until I found the right one.

"That's amazing…" she said after a moment. I peered over at her as her eyes fluttered closed.

That's usually what I did when I listened to music like this. I had never seen anyone who held the same unabashed appreciation for instrumental music before. If I hadn't been driving, I would have sat there and stared at her for as long as I could. She looked so peaceful… her breathing matching the steady flowing pace of the music, her eyes still closed , letting the music take control.

She looked so unconventionally beautiful then. I wanted to reach out and touch her cheek. I wanted to rub my thumb across the fading blush on her face. I wanted to…

I shook the thoughts from my mind as I put on my blinker and pulled into a parking spot. She didn't seem to have noticed that we stopped, so I waited until the song was finished, resting my head against the head rest and resisting the urge to stare some more.

Once the song had finished, I quickly turned off the car. She opened her eyes slowly, realizing we were already there and smoothing the momentary confusion away quickly.

"I really like that song. You'll have to write down the name of that guy so that I can download some of his music."

"Oh, that's okay. I can just burn you a copy, if you'd like…"

She smiled and nodded, "I would like that."

Returning her smile, I quickly got out of the vehicle and half-sprinted to the other side so that I could open her door for her. I hoped she didn't think I was being too overbearing as I extended a hand and helped her out of the car. I knew she was perfectly capable, but I was trying to impress her. For some reason I was finding the task much harder than many would expect of me. I had never felt the urge to impress someone before. It was unfamiliar territory for me.

After she was out of the vehicle, I swiftly moved to hold open the door to the café for her as well. She smiled and slid past me as the bell jingled above our heads, making our entrance known to all the occupants of the building, which, conveniently, weren't many.

There was only one person in line in front of us, which was good. It gave Bella the chance to figure out what she wanted.

I watched her study the board behind the counter for several moments before I asked if she knew what she wanted.

"Umm… I think the Reeses Mocha sounds really good," she said quietly. "So does the caramel apple cheesecake, though."

"So get them," I shrugged.

"I'm not really that hungry, though," she frowned.

"Well… we can split the cheesecake if you want," I suggested.

She looked up at me, her eyes questioning. "Oh…"

"If you're not comfortable with that, that's absolutely fine," I added quickly.

"No, that's… sure. That will be fine," she nodded.

I gave her a reassuring smile and stepped up to the counter.

"What can I get for you today?" the blonde haired barista asked with a hearty grin.

"Can I have one Reeses Mocha, one Milky Way Mocha, and a slice of caramel apple cheesecake with two forks please?"

"Is that together?" she asked, eyeing Bella suspiciously.

"Yes," I said quickly as I saw Bella reach into her pocket for money.

"Oh, I can pay for my own," she offered.

"I've got it, Bella," I assured her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. My treat," I nodded.

The barista seemed to have lost her friendliness then as she mumbled out my total and told us with little enthusiasm that she would bring our order out to us when it was ready.

I led Bella to the nearest table and pulled out her chair for her. She smiled politely and discarded her coat over that back of it before sitting down as I took the seat across from her.

Fortunately, it only took a moment for us to jump back into conversation.

"Have you heard Yiruma?" she asked suddenly.

"Umm… no?" I cocked my head.

"He's kind of similar to that guy you just had me listen to. He's mainly piano. It's really beautiful music. I listen to it a lot when I'm going to sleep," she admitted.

"I'll have to look him up," I said.

"No, I'll burn you a CD," she replied quickly. "That way it's even."

"Alright," I agreed with a nod.

She bit her lip awkwardly for a moment before asking, "So… what are you going to study in college?"

"Oh, umm…" I had no idea what I wanted to do as far as college went. It was bad, considering I was a semester away from graduating.

"I'm not sure yet. Something with music?"

"Oh!" she seemed surprised. "Something with studying music or playing it?"

"Well… I don't think I'm good enough to go for a career in playing music…"

"What instrument do you play?"

"Oh," I didn't tell people this. Alice was the only person in the entire school that knew that I had taken piano lessons for 12 years. "I play the piano." Why did I just tell her that?

"Oh! I didn't know that," she looked almost disbelieving. "I play the guitar a little…"

"That's cool." I rested my elbows on the table.

"I guess."

"What about you," I started, resting my chin on my fist.

"What about me?"

"Well, what do you want to do in college?"

"Oh. I'm, um… I'm really into writing."

"You are? That sounds really fun."

"Yeah… I'm not very good. Teaching is my fallback."

For some reason, I could not picture Bella Swan as a teacher.

"English teacher?"

"Probably. English is usually free of guts and blood, right?"

"Unless you're studying 'The Tell-tale Heart', I shrugged.

She laughed, a few strands of hair falling in front of her face. I clenched my fist on the table in an effort to stop myself from tucking them back behind her ear for her. After a moment, she did it herself.

I really liked her laugh…

"Do you have a college in mind?"

"No," I answered honestly. "I need to figure out what to do with my life first."

She narrowed her eyes for a split second and then shook her head discreetly.

"What?" I urged.

"I just… never mind." She slumped into her chair.

I cocked my head to the side, patiently waiting for her to continue.

She caught my gaze for a moment and then sighed in resignation, "I just always pictured you as the kind of person who had it all figured out."

I understood what she meant by that. Everyone expected that of me. It was a hard image to live up to.

"I'm not really what anyone pictures me as," I said simply.

"I've realized that," she said quietly, clasping her hands together and setting them on the table.

I almost asked her what she meant by that, but thought better of it and veered back to the other subject.

"Have you picked out any colleges?"

"No. I haven't applied to a single place," she groaned.

"Same here." I lifted a shoulder and dropped it back down.

"Who ordered the Reeses Mocha?" the blonde barista huffed as she approached our table with her hands full.

"I did," Bella spoke up timidly.

With no additional words, she set the drinks and cheesecake down and walked away, her heels making obnoxious clicking noises against the wood floors.

"Well, isn't she just a ray of sunshine," I frowned.

"She was perfectly cheery before you offered to pay for my stuff," Bella pointed out.

I frowned again, confused.

"I think when you paid for my stuff she got the wrong idea and decided that you were unavailable…" she elaborated.

"Maybe I am unavailable." I internally cringed as I heard the words come out of my mouth. I shouldn't have said that out loud.

Bella faltered for a moment, throwing me a suspicious glance before shaking it out of her mind and turning her thoughts on her coffee.

"I suddenly feel like she may have spit in my mocha," I wrinkled my nose as peered into the cup.

"If she were going to spit in anyone's drink, it would be mine," Bella corrected.

I rolled my eyes a little and took a drink.

"So, what do you do in your free time?" I asked, immediately regretting it. I sounded desperate for conversation.

I was desperate for conversation.

"Oh, well… I read a lot. Homework, too. I do most of the cooking and cleaning, so that keeps me pretty busy."

"So you take care of your dad, then?" I suddenly felt like I might have been being too nosy. "If I'm being intrusive or something… you can just tell me to shut up.."

"Again?" she chuckled.

"Yeah, you can tell me to shut up _again_," I edited.

"I will if I need to, but it's fine. Yes, for the most part I take care of my father. He's really bad at things like laundry and cooking. I mean, he's capable… but I would fear for his health if I let him cook. And I would never want him to cook for fear of returning to a burnt down house."

"Your dad is the police chief, right?"

"Yeah. He works a lot, so he's not really home often anyway."

"I see."

"What about you?" She set down her cup of coffee and rested her chin on her fists.

"I live with my mom and dad. We've lived here in Forks my entire life."

"Is Alice your only sibling?"

"No, Alice isn't technically my sister," I explained.

"Oh, really?" she frowned.

"Yeah, her parents died in a car accident when she was only a month old."

"That's terrible.." Bella's face fell.

"She wasn't in the car, though. And… well, she's technically my cousin. My mom and dad took her in so that she didn't have to go into foster care. She's only 9 months younger than I am, and we've lived together since we were babies. Technically, she's like my sister. She refers to my parents as "mom" and "dad" too, so for all intents and purposes, she's my sister. But technically…"

"I see," she nodded. "That was really nice for your parents to adopt her like that."

"My mom always wanted a daughter," I explained. "But there were complications when I was born and she ended up not being able to have anymore kids. It took a while for her to get over her sisters death, but that just made Alice all the more special to her."

"Do you and Alice get along?" Bella tilted her head slightly.

"For the most part. I mean, we fight a lot… but she's my sister and I love her. She's definitely a pain in the ass at times, though…" I rolled my eyes.

"That's what siblings are for," Bella's voice cracked but she smiled.

"Do you have any siblings?" I asked.

"No. I'm an only child."

"That must be nice," I commented.

"It has its moments. Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a brother or sister, but then I wonder how different my life would be."

"What do you think would be different?" I asked, pleased to find the conversation flowing much easier now.

"Well, I probably wouldn't be in Forks. If I had another sibling, they probably wouldn't have wanted to move back out here… But, it would kind of be impossible for that to have happened anyways.."

"Why's that?"

"Shortly after I was born my mom took me and we moved to Phoenix. She hated Forks and things between her and my father just weren't going as well as they had hoped. There really wouldn't have been much of an opportunity for me to get a sibling out of that situation."

"That's true."

"But if she and Phil had had a child, I probably would have stayed with them. The only reason I moved here in the first place was so that they could have their newlywed lives be uninterrupted by me."

I nodded slowly before saying, "Well in that case, I'm glad things worked out the way they did."

She blushed and bit her lip, quickly hiding her expression by taking another sip of coffee.

Using the silence to my advantage, I reached for my fork and took the first bite of the cheesecake.

"Oh," I said pointedly. "That is _good_."

"Really?" she smiled, picking up her fork and following suit.

"Wow," she nodded approvingly, taking another bite.

From that point forward, conversation was effortless. We discussed books, movies, music, family traditions. We sat there for about two solid hours. An additional slice of cheesecake and two refills each later, Bella's phone rang.

"Oh my God, it's seven o'clock," she commented as she flipped open her cell phone.

"Hi Dad. No, I'm on my way. I just lost track of time, that's all. Well, yeah…. I can just pick up a Pizza on my way."

I took the cue and stood up to clear the table, bringing the plates and cups up to the dishes counter and returning just in time to hear her promising her father she would be back within the hour.

"I can't believe how late it is," she said as she snapped the phone shut and pocketed it.

"I know, I was totally not paying attention." That was a lie. I had known how late it was, but I was enjoying myself too much to mention it.

I stood up and grabbed her coat off the back of her chair as she rose, holding it out so she could slip her arms through it. She blushed again and gave me a shy smile.

Was it weird that it gave me a tingly sensation when she smiled?

I left a tip on the table and walked toward the door with her, holding it open instinctively so she could pass. Once we were back in the car, Ludovico Einaudi's instrumental harmonies pulsed through the speakers again.

Having exhausted most conversation by this point, we were relatively quiet on the way back to the school parking lot, only exchanging several comments of little importance.

I was almost depressed as I pulled my car up next to hers. I didn't want to see her leave. And it was Friday, so there would be an entire weekend before I got to see her again…

"Well, thanks for the coffee. And cheesecake. It was nice," she stammered.

"Yeah, we'll have to do it again sometime. I enjoyed it," I replied honestly.

She caught her perfect bottom lip between her teeth and nodded once, reaching for the door handle and pulling herself out of the vehicle.

"Bye.." she waved awkwardly with one hand before shutting the door. She stood for a moment, seemingly unsure of what action to take next. She pushed her hands into her pockets and rocked back on her heels before walking around to her truck.

I put the car in gear and took off in the direction of home.

I had made it about a mile before a thought occurred to me.

"Damn!" I cursed out loud. I should have asked her for her number at least.

I could have made it through the weekend without seeing her if I had a way to contact her. Granted, I would probably be too much of a pansy to text or call anyways, but having at least the sources to do so would have been a slight comfort. I cursed myself the entire way home, but then an additional thought occurred to me.

I parked the car and quickly sprinted into my house.

"Mom," I called.

"What? What's wrong? Did something happen?" she flew out of the kitchen, fully dressed in an apron and oven mitts.

"No, nothing's wrong. I just… can I see your cell phone real quick?"

"Yeah, sure, baby," she frowned in confusion. "It's in my pocket." She popped her hip out, gesturing her inability to retrieve it herself.

"Thanks ma." I pulled out her phone and kissed her on the cheek quickly before darting into the living room.

"You're…" she hesitated, "Welcome?"

Once in the empty living room I pulled out my own cell phone and opened up a new contact form. I opened my mother's phone and went into text messaging. Fortunately she didn't use her text messaging that often, so the message I had sent to her from Bella's phone the night we had gotten into the accident was still in the queue. Smiling triumphantly, I copied the number into my own phone.

"Edward?" Alice bounded down the stairs and into the living room looking absurdly excited about my presence. "You were out late! What happened? How'd it go?" she blurted out a stream of questions ending with "What are you doing?" as she noted the two cell phones in my hand.

"What? I… nothing." I quickly shut both phones and darted back to the kitchen to return the phone to my mother.

"Thanks," I smiled, setting the phone on the countertop.

"You're welcome. Should I even bother to ask why you needed my phone?"

"No," I smiled.

"Alright…" she regarded me with a curious expression for a moment before shrugging and continuing. "Supper will be done in about ten minutes."

"Okay, thanks mom. I'll be down in a little bit." I gave her another kiss on the cheek causing her and Alice to exchange concerned glances as I happily strolled out of the room.

I had almost made it to the stairs when Alice caught up with me.

"Hooooold on there," she sang, grabbing my arm and twirling me around to face her. "Not so fast. What happened? I want details. Now. Go."

"I forgot your cheesecake." I said simply, only just then remembering that I had in fact forgotten to get her a slice of cheesecake.

Her jaw fell open and shook her head expectantly, urging me to explain.

"I'll see you at supper." I smiled, darting up the stairs before she could stop me.

"You're not going to tell me?"

"Nope."

"Asshole!"

"I love you!"

Once I was in my room, I pulled out my cell phone again. I opened up a text message and began typing. When I was finished I stared at it for several seconds, debating whether to send it or not. Would she find it weird that I had gotten her cell phone number without asking for it?

Suddenly, without listening to my better instincts, I pressed the send button.

It was a harmless text message. Maybe she would even respond. That would be the best case scenario.

"Edward," Alice pounded on my door.

"What?"

"Come here!"

"I'm not telling you," I said firmly as I opened the door.

"Yes you will, but I was just going to tell you that it's time for supper. Come help set the table."

"Oh, okay," I shrugged. I shut the door behind me and began following her down the stairs. I stopped mid step when my phone suddenly went off.

_Oh my God. She replied_.

I quickly flipped open the phone and read to myself.

_Thanks, Edward. I feel the same way. You have a good night, too._

I felt my face contort to host a huge grin.

"What?" Alice squealed, darting towards me. "Was it from Bella? What did it say? Edward, show me!" I shut the phone and held it just out of her reach. Being the pesky little pixie she was, though, she promptly hoisted herself onto my back. Though she was practically strangling me with her arm, I still managed to keep the phone out of her reach and walk down the stairs at the same time. When I walked into the dining room, Alice was still hanging on my back squealing at me to let her have my phone. Esme and Carlisle both looked up from their seats and shook their heads, neither of them feigning the least bit of surprise.

"Alice, can you please beat details out of your brother _after_ supper?" Esme groaned.

"Oh," Alice said, dropping off my back like she had just had a sudden epiphany. "Can I see your phone?"

"Sure, it's in the kitchen," my mom shrugged.

By the time I realized what Alice was doing it was too late for me to stop her. She bounded back into the dining room as she closed her phone. "If Edward doesn't tell me, I can just call and ask Bella."

"I hate you," I growled.

"Love you too," she grinned.

"So, Edward," my father smirked as I sat down.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me about your date."

* * *

AN:

yeah, that was 10k + words. :)  
Now, some of you probably know if you are an lj friend that I am choreographing and assistant directing The Jungle Book right now. If you've ever been involved in drama, you'll understand what the phrase "hell week" means, but if not... well, I'm sure it's self explanatory. The final performance and strike set is on Sunday, so I'll be back to writing and posting regularly after that.

hopefully this long chapter can keep you patient for a week or two while I'm writing up the next chapter.

feedback is love. tell me what you think :)

and while waiting for the next chapter, a few stories you should check out

My Brother's Best Friend - jennlynnfs

Secret Prophecies - Bexi21

Tahoe Tanglings - AHelm and Hammondgirl

and Silence in the Stacks - jillbetsonalice


	9. Chapter 9

BPOV

_Thanks for a great afternoon. I had fun. We really should do it again sometime. Have a good night, Bella. -Edward_

It only took me a moment to figure out how he had gotten my cell phone number, and before I had even considered my actions, I typed out a response and sent it.

"Bells?" Charlie sauntered into the Kitchen, stretching as he walked.

"Hey dad. I got pizza," I smiled, setting the box down on the table and pocketing my phone.

"It smells good," he nodded approvingly, retrieving two paper plates out of the cupboard. "You were out later than usual today. I thought you said you didn't have to work.."

"Oh, I didn't."

"Okay..." I could tell that Charlie wanted to ask, but he didn't want to be intrusive either. That was yet another thing I liked about Charlie. He was never one to be nosy.

"I had coffee with a friend." I tried to sound as indifferent as possible, but he knew as well as I did that an event like that was rare.

"Oh!" he scratched his head as his brow pulled together in obvious confusion. "That's... nice."

I opened the lid on the box of pizza and separated two slices onto the plates as Charlie settled himself into his chair.

"So... which friend?"

I was hoping he would avoid that question.

"Um.. Edward Cullen," I winced internally.

"The one who you got in an accident with?" he said quickly. His tone gave all the hint I needed that he was not approving of this fact.

"Yeah, he took me out to coffee because I think he felt bad," I shrugged. That had been my justification before... though I wasn't sure what to believe as far as his motives went anymore.

"Well, that was nice of him, I guess." Charlie's voice was rough and not the least bit sincere.

We ate our pizza in silence for the next few minutes. I was full after my first piece. I had eaten almost a full slice of cheesecake all together at the coffee shop, so I wasn't really that hungry.

I jumped a little in my seat as I felt my cell phone begin vibrating against my leg.

"I'm going to take a shower," I excused myself quickly as Charlie started on his fourth piece of pizza.

"Mhmm, alright. Goodnight," he mumbled around a mouthful of cheese.

I grabbed my backpack from the entry way and darted up the stairs and into my room, pulling out my cell phone as soon as the door was closed behind me.

_Would you mind if I ate lunch with you again Monday?_

My heart thudded violently against my ribcage and I felt my breathing accelerate. My mind... my entire body practically screamed my approval. The fact that the entire school would be staring and scrutinizing even more was only a whisper in the back of my mind. It was only a fraction of the equation, now. All that I could think about was getting to spend more time getting to know Edward Cullen. I wasn't sure why I found him so intriguing and intimidating at the same time... but the mere opportunity to be in his presence again made my palms sweat. I debated for a moment before responding. I chose my words carefully. I didn't want to sound too desperate. If I had went with my first impulse I would have typed back "Yes! Please do!", but I thought better of it.

_No, I wouldn't mind._

I shut my phone again and tossed it onto my bed. I didn't have homework to do. I didn't even have a book to read. Tonight was going to suck.

In fact, the entire weekend was going to suck.

And it did.

The Library here wasn't open on weekends, so I was always free. I spent a little bit of time studying for the lab practical on Monday, but I was confident enough that I didn't spend too much time on it. Plus, looking at the diagrams reminded me of how my afternoon with Edward had began and I was doing the best I could to _not_ think about him. It was hard, though. I didn't have anything to occupy myself with but rereading old books and listening to music. My dinner menus were much more elaborate than usual, too, a fact Charlie took note of.

Charlie was often as observant as I was... he just chose not to mention his observations most of the time.

"Something on your mind, Bells?" he asked as he cracked open another crab leg.

"No," I lied. "Why?"

"Yesterday you made steak and artichokes, today it's crab legs and fettuccine... Usually you don't make this much food unless you're trying to distract yourself from something."

"That's not true," I rolled my eyes.

"I don't know, the week of your mid terms I think I gained ten pounds.."

I rolled my eyes again and ignored him, spinning several noodles around the end of my fork. I ate much faster after that, escaping to my bedroom as quickly as I could, glad the weekend was almost over.

I looked around for a moment, uncertain of how to occupy myself now.

With a sigh, I gathered my shower things and began my nightly routine. By the time I had finished and gotten myself ready for bed it was only 8:45 PM. I laid in bed for about 30 minutes until I decided I couldn't fall asleep. I sat up in bed and reached over to turn on the lamp. I sat and stared at the shadows on my wall for several minutes, willing myself to become tired. It didn't work. Instead I flung off the covers and crossed to my window. I threw it open and leaned out, bracing myself against the ledge and closing my eyes as the cool breeze swept across my face.

It would probably have been so much easier to fall asleep if I didn't see his face every time I closed my eyes. It was pathetic, I knew. It was pointless for me to dwell on him like this. I was certain that he wasn't laying in bed somewhere with his mind tormented with thoughts of Bella Swan. That was absurd. He was Edward Cullen, for God's sake. He was the object of every girl's affection. He was-

My eyes flew open as I heard the buzzing of my cell phone across the room. I pushed myself away from my window and disconnected it from the charger. I opened it up to find one new text message.

_Hey, Bella. Are you awake? I can't sleep._

Coincidence? I frowned in contemplation for a moment before I realized that it didn't matter if it was coincidence or not. I quickly texted him back.

_I'm awake. I can't sleep either._

It only took him a moment to respond.

_What time do you usually go to bed?_

It was a weird question, but I replied anyway.

_Around 9. _

After I had sent it, I glanced at the clock. It was 9:45 PM. Much later than I usually went to bed.

_What time do you wake up?_ His next text read.

_Six. Is this twenty questions now, or what? When do I get a turn?_

I had been completely joking about the twenty questions game, but I had forgotten that sarcasm doesn't read so well through texting.

_Sure. Your turn._

"What?" I mumbled aloud. "Seriously?" I didn't know what to ask. I had been completely joking about this. I typed and erased several questions before I reverted back to my first one, resigning myself to the fact that whatever I would ask at this point would likely redefine lame.

_What's your favorite color?_

Even in the dark room, I could feel myself blush.

_Blue. What's your favorite season?_

_Autumn. What's your favorite book? _

_Wuthering Heights. What's your favorite movie?_

_That's my favorite book too. My favorite movie is Romeo and Juliet. What's your favorite drink?_

_Cranberry Juice. What's one thing that always makes you smile?_

I hesitated on that one. I realized that I was smiling just then, so the obvious answer would be too embarrassing to respond with. Instead, I gave him something general.

_The feeling of freshly cleaned sheets. What makes you smile?_

Was that against the rules? Asking a question that had already been asked? Oh well, I wanted to know.

_You do._

My heart fluttered against my ribcage. I was about to reply when I realized he hadn't asked another question. What was I supposed to say? How could I possibly respond to that? What did he mean by that? How the hell did I make him smile?

My ponderings were interrupted by another text.

_Sorry, I forgot. Favorite pair of shoes?_

_Tennis shoes. Favorite TV show?_

Our conversation carried on in that manner for another hour before I started running out of questions.

_Three. Do you have unlimited texting? _I typed.

I asked because... well, I didn't. I was uncertain how many I had used this month. I only ever texted Jacob, and occasionally Renee. My mother had become much more tech savvy in the last few months, though, and I was pretty sure she could text faster than I could now.

_Yes, I do. Do you?_

_No._

It was several minutes later and he hadn't responded. Maybe he had taken my lack of unlimited texting as the ending to our conversation. I was about to plug my phone back in, sure that he was through responding, when my phone buzzed again. I flipped it open to read the text message. The air in my lungs exited in a huff.

_Now Connected to Edward._

My throat became very dry. I didn't think he would actually _call_ me. That thought hadn't even crossed my mind.

"He.. Hello?" I stammered, raising the phone to my ear.

"I'm sorry. I hadn't even considered that you might not have unlimited texting," he greeted.

"Oh, I... it's okay."

"I'm sorry if I made you go over your limit."

"No, it's fine. I don't think I did."

"I probably should have asked. I just... I don't know. I guess I assumed."

"You're apologizing again," I said quietly.

"Damn it. I do that a lot, don't I?"

"Yeah. Way too much," I chuckled.

He was silent for a moment. I figured he was trying to think of something else to say that didn't include an apology.

"So, are you tired yet?"

"A little," I lied.

"Me too. I guess.... I guess I'll see you at lunch tomorrow? Shit, wait..."

"What?"

"I have to make up a psychology test during lunch tomorrow."

"Oh, that's okay," I said quickly, internally scolding myself for being so disappointed.

"I'm sor-"

I cleared my throat quickly, cutting him off.

"I mean, that... sucks. I guess I'll just have to see you in Biology, then."

"Yeah, that's... I'll see you in Biology." I found myself nodding even though I knew he couldn't see it.

"Well, goodnight, then."

"Goodnight," I bit my lip and closed the phone. I took a moment to steady my breathing before throwing myself back onto my bed.

My mind was racing. I didn't even know what I was thinking about. Flashes of thought scattered across my conscious mind at speeds that I couldn't comprehend. All I knew was that every thought had one thing in common. Edward.

Sleep came surprisingly easy after that. The night passed quickly, and before I knew it, I was groping the nightstand to find my blaring alarm clock

I would have been lucky if the day would have gone by in such a seemingly fast manner.

I caught several glimpses of Edward throughout the day, but he always seemed distracted, so I kept my head down and walked past him. In one particular instance, however, having my head down did not work out to my advantage.

"Watch where you're going, freak," Tanya snarled, a smirk toying at the corner of her glossy lips as my stack of books tumbled out of my hands and onto the ground.

I didn't say anything. I didn't even look at her for longer than it took me to identify her. I felt myself blush as I knelt down to collect my Biology folder and other scattered materials, embarrassed that I had run into Tanya of all people. I felt the heat in my face spread further as a pair of hands presented themselves to help me. I knew who the hands belonged to immediately. Who else would have hands as attractive as that but Edward Cullen? It was weird to consider hands as attractive, but that was the word that came to mind. They were smooth and flawless as any I had seen. They were masculine, but without sacrificing any hint of perfection. He could make a good deal of money being a hand model. Hell, he could make a fortune being a model, _period_.

"Here, let me help you with that," he offered, straightening back up and helping to situate the books I had already picked up in my arms. I reached for the two books he had picked up, but he held them just out of my reach. "I got this. We're going to the same place, anyway," he shot me a quick knee-weakening smile.

I gulped, "Thanks.."

"Sorry about Tanya. That was really rude of her,"

"No.. I should have been watching where I was going," I suggested.

"Bella, she ran into you on purpose," he sighed, shaking his head in disapproval at Tanya's actions. "It was unnecessary."

"Oh," I said meekly, not knowing how else to respond to that.

"I can't even stand being around her anymore."

I was going to point out how he didn't have much of a choice when we arrived at the door to the Biology room. The door was open already, so instead of opening it for me, like I'm sure he would have, he stepped to the side and gestured me in ahead of him. I smiled timidly and entered the classroom, forgetting momentarily that he had my books as I made my way back to my seat.

He set the books down on the desk and gave me a quick smile and then held up his index finger in a "one moment please" gesture.

"Thanks," I said as I slid the rest of my books onto the pile and watched him approach Mr. Banner at his desk.

I sighed and leaned back against my chair. Tanya entered the room then and her eyes zeroed in on me immediately. I quickly picked up my copy of Sense and Sensibility and opened to the page I had left off on. Even if it didn't distract me from Tanya's glares, it would at least stop be from looking at Edward's backside.

Even though I had read the book over ten times in my life, Jane Austen never failed to captivate my full attention. I was drawn into the book immediately and didn't snap back to reality until I heard the chair beside me scrape against the ground. I started and glanced up at Edward as he lowered himself into the spot beside me.

"Wha-" I started, glancing wildly between him and Tanya, whose mouth had fallen open at Edward's relocation.

"Shh," he winked, gesturing toward the front of the class where Mr. Banner had stood and began speaking.

My mouth still slightly open in confusion, I turned my attention back to the teacher and impatiently waited for him to become distracted enough that I could question Edward's sanity.

"... if you will notice, around the room are some wrapped pans. In case you have never had one of my classes before, I will explain to you how a lab practical works."

I groaned internally and leaned back against my chair. This was going to take a while.

Edward smirked, catching my obvious impatience. He took out a piece of paper and began writing something on it. I couldn't make out the words, but I did take note of his immaculate handwriting. How had I not noticed that while we were dissecting the frog?

He slid the paper across the table toward me.

_I spoke with Mr. B about switching lab partners again._

My heart thudded. I couldn't come up with a sensible response, so I simple wrote out: _Why?_

He smirked a little and held back a chuckle as he wrote out his reply.

_Have you looked at the rest of the class syllabus?_

Frowning, I opened my folder and pulled out the purple paper on which was printed the class syllabus. I gestured to it and shrugged my shoulders at him. He sighed and held out his hand expectantly. I handed him the paper and he underlined one line and handed it back.

Dissection of the common frog, cow eye, fetal pig, and cat will take place during the covering of chapters 14 through 20.

Oh. I guess I hadn't thoroughly read the syllabus after all.

He took the other paper back again as I replaced the syllabus in my folder.

_Unless you want to do all that by yourself..._

_No!_ I wrote back quickly.

_Also... I figure if I'm lab partners with you, it would motivate me to come to the class much more. Lately I've been dreading it because of Tanya._

I looked up and tuned into Mr. Banner's conversation for a moment to make sure I wasn't missing any new information.

"There is a pin with a number on it sticking out of certain organs in each of the frogs on the pans. Identify each number with the scientific name and the function of each..."

Nope, still good.

_I understand. I would want an escape from Tanya, too._ I wrote.

_No! It's not just that I want to get away from Tanya. You're a big part of the reason I switched too. I mean... I wanted to be your lab partner. _

I read the last line several times before I came up with a response. My writing was cut short, though. The paper disappeared from beneath my pencil and Edward tucked it into his folder quickly just as I looked up to find Mr. Banner at our table.

"Mrs. Swan, I trust you are okay with the lab partner switch. I didn't expect you would have any objections, but if so, please let me know."

"No, it's great," I winced internally. "It's fine," I edited. "No problems."

"Good. I would hate to see your grades suffer because of a fear of dissecting things." And with that, he walked away.

I noticed the rest of the class had already stood and begun taking their places at the stations around the room, so I quickly followed suit. We had one minute at each station to answer the three questions before we all moved to the next. The test took 25 minutes to complete, and then another 10 while Mr. Banner collected our tests and let people have another look at a pan if they needed it. By the time we were finished, there was only about 5 minutes remaining in class. Edward began walking toward me, but was intercepted by Tanya.

"What the hell is this bullshit?" she hissed, grabbing his arm and spinning him around to face her.

"Excuse me?" he feigned ignorance.

"Why didn't you sit at our table? Are you mad at me or something? Why the hell are you hanging out with her? Did you run over her dog and feel bad about it or what?"

"Shut up, Tanya," Edward said simply.

"What?" Tanya took a step back.

"I'm not your lab partner anymore."

"What?" she repeated acidly.

"You heard me."

"What the hell am I supposed to... I mean... what the hell are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that it's nice to hang out with people who aren't superficial bitches for a change."

"I don't think Alice would appreciate that," Tanya raised her eyebrow.

"You know damn well I'm not talking about her. Or Rose."

"Do you know what this is going to do to your reputation?"

"Do you know how little I care about a reputation?" he retorted coolly.

"I..." Tanya opened and shut her mouth several times before Edward turned and started walking away.

"We're done!" she shouted from behind him. "You and me, yeah... we're done."

He raised his hand and waved it out to the side once as if signifying his lack of interest in her threat.

"Can I sit with you at lunch tomorrow?" he grinned as he stopped in front of me.

~*~~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~*~

I had only taken two bites out of my apple and three bites of my salad through all of lunch. Despite the amount of time I had been spending with him, I was still incredibly nervous in his presence. And things had gotten even more nerve wracking half way through the lunch period. Edward's sister, Alice, and her boyfriend Jasper had joined us as well. Between the butterflies taking up residence in my stomach and the unusual amount of conversation at my table, I hadn't really had much desire to eat. Neither did the rest of them. They had already used the lunch period as a social intermission to the school day. I had just never had anyone to be social with until now. Both Edward and myself had been a bit shocked to see them come over to my table. It was probably for the best though, conversation between Edward and I was a little weak since we had covered almost every topic known to man during our stay in the coffee house.

"So, Bella," Alice smiled, "Edward says that you work at the library."

"Yeah," I nodded once.

"I've been thinking about getting a job. How is it, working there?"

"Alice... are you serious?" Edward turned to his sister and frowned.

"Mom won't loan me the credit card anymore," she pouted.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing," Alice shrugged defensively. "I told her that the shoes _were_ a necessity, but she wouldn't listen."

"How much did the shoes cost?"

"Only one fifty," she frowned. "So she told me if I wanted to buy anymore clothes or shoes I needed to get the money myself."

Edward chuckled and then Alice turned her attention back on me, waiting for an answer to the question I had forgotten she'd asked.

"Oh, um... it's nice. The pay is decent and the hours are good. It's not like it's hard labor or anything either," I shrugged.

"Hmm, let me know if they're hiring, okay?"

I nodded once.

"Oh," Alice jumped a little and reached into her back pocket to produce a bright pink cell phone. She looked around quickly to make sure there were no school administrators lurking the cafeteria before she pressed a button that halted the buzzing and flipped it open.

"Oh," she said again. This time it sounded displeased rather than surprised.

"What?" Jasper asked.

Alice scoffed, "Rose says that Tanya is being a superbitch right now and it's all our fault. Hah."

I resisted the sudden urge to look up. I had noticed Tanya's death glares the moment I had walked into the cafeteria. Edward was already sitting at my table waiting for me when I arrived. When Alice and Jasper had bypassed their regular table for mine, though, Tanya looked downright furious.

"Oh, Edward," Alice suddenly began, seemingly forgetting about the text and stuffing her phone back in her pocket. "Did you hear that she's throwing _another_ super-fabulous-my-parents-are-so-rich-and-conveniently-out-of-town party?"

"Third one in two months," Edward chuckled.

"I know. Where does she get all the booze?"

"Where do her parents keep going?" Jasper countered.

"You going?" Edward directed the question at Alice.

"I don't know. It's getting kind of old."

"It got old years ago," Edward commented. "But there's not much else to do in Forks on Friday's."

"What about you, Bella?" Jasper turned to me. "What keeps you sane on a Friday night?" He spoke with a very gentle and sincere tone that I appreciated. Both he and Alice had been nothing but nice to me so far, but when Jasper addressed me, it was if he could tell that I was nervous. He had a very odd way of reassuring me.

"Sleep," I answered simply, causing a chuckle to resonate from around the table.

"I like the way you think," Jasper winked.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day, Jasper and Alice ate lunch with Edward and I again. It became a pattern that carried out through most of the week. I began to grow fond of both Alice and Jasper. They were both very polite and welcoming toward me. They treated me like a human... and whether that had anything to do with Edward or not, I didn't know. Nor did I truly care, either. It was nice to be accepted.

Despite my nerves, I became much more comfortable around Edward in the span of that week. It took some coaxing, but eventually our friendship had progressed to the point where I was able to joke around with him... maybe even make a joke at his expense from time to time.

Friday rolled around quicker than usual. I made a mental note of how much faster time seemed to travel when I looked forward to school.

"How's your day so far, Bella?" Alice smiled as she sat down at her usual seat across from me.

"Uneventful," I shrugged, spearing a piece of lettuce on the end of my plastic fork.

"Are you ready for the lab practical in Bio?"

"Um..." I hesitated, "Yeah, I think so." I set down my fork decisively at her mention of my next hour class. "I had better not eat a lot though, just in case."

"It's not that bad," she shrugged. "Most of the pigs were destroyed by the students; there weren't very many decent examples left, so most of the lab is done using paper diagrams."

"Good," I sighed.

That had been one of the low points of the week. Fetal pig dissections. I shuddered just thinking about them. If it hadn't been for Edward... there is no possible way I could have made it through those classes. It was borderline disastrous as it was. I had nearly fainted at one point, but somehow Edward had reacted with almost inhuman speed and caught me before I had hit the floor. Unfortunately, it was toward the end of the class period. Had I passed out more toward the beginning of the hour, I would have been allowed to go to the nurse's office and skip the whole thing. It's not as if I was any huge help to Edward anyway. The most entertaining part of those classes was watching Tanya's dramatics over getting pig skin under her fingernails.

"All that's left is the cat and then the dissections are over," Edward jumped in, taking his normal seat next to me.

"Fabulous," I rolled my eyes. By far I was looking forward to the cat dissection the least.

"Jazz, you took Bio last year, didn't you?" Alice asked as Jasper sat down at the table.

"Yeah."

"How bad is the cat dissection?"

"It wasn't that bad. It was kind of disgusting at points, and it smelled really terrible... but it was probably the most I learned in that class. There was a lot of written lab work, I remember.." he wrinkled his nose at that, as if the lab work was worse than cutting open and exploring the innards of a once-living house pet. "The practical at the end is really easy, though. It was the easiest out of all the dissections if I remember correctly."

I was about to make further comment, when a flourish of blond hair caught my attention. My sharp intake of breath caught Edward's attention too and he turned to follow my gaze.

"Oh..." he groaned as we both watched Tanya's procession toward our lunch table.

"This can't be good," Alice frowned.

As she stalked toward our table, her heels making a dreadful clicking sound as she did so, her stare was aimed directly at me. It was almost a determined stare, too. She was grimacing... as if she was doing something physically painful.

"Hi," she said snappily as she stopped in front of the table. She glanced at the seat next to Edward for a moment before seemingly deciding to stay standing and crossing her arms in front of her chest defensively.

"Can I help you?" Edward sighed indifferently.

"Don't be a dick," she said pointedly, catching the distinct tone of dislike he had greeted her with. "I just wanted to let you all know that my parents are going to Maui this weekend, so I am having a party at my house tonight. You're invited.." she hesitated for a minute, visibly contemplating her next word choice. "You're _all_ invited."

My mouth suddenly felt very dry.

"Oh," Edward shot me a quick glance. "I don't know,"

"Do you already have plans?" Tanya retaliated quickly.

"No, but.."

"Good. You can come, then. You can bring Bella as your date. That is," she turned towards me, "If that's alright with you, Bella," she shot me a very fake smile.

"I... um," I stammered.

"What time?" Alice interjected.

"Eight," Tanya replied without taking her eyes off of me.

"We'll be there," Alice piped up again. "All four of us can ride together."

Edward and I jerked our heads toward her quickly, questioning her sanity with our eyes.

She shot us a _trust me, I know what I'm doing_ glance and nodded her head once to confirm her decision.

"Great," Tanya clapped her hands together, her tone suddenly doing a complete 180. For a moment, her enthusiasm almost sounded authentic. "I'll see you all there," she flashed us a huge grin and began walking away. Instead of heading back towards her table, though, she went and sat down at the jock table next to James who she did not hesitate to snuggle up to immediately, whispering questionable things in his ear that I was sure no one wanted to hear about.

"Alice," Edward hissed.

"You can't say no, Edward. She is trying to turn the whole school against you. I am not going to let that happen."

"You care more about my popularity standing than I do," he groaned.

"Probably," she rolled her eyes.

Suddenly, a large wave of guilt crashed over me. It was suddenly very apparent that his hanging out with me has cost him a lot as far as reputation goes. He had once been the most popular boy in the school... and now people regarded him with a sense of confusion and questioning. I had thought that there was nothing I could do to prevent that... but now it was obvious that I could. I could go to the party and pretend to be a social butterfly. I could at least _try_ to prove that he wasn't completely insane for wasting his time on me.

"She's right," I spoke softly.

Edward snapped his head around to stare at me in disbelief.

"I have to do this," I continued.

"You don't have to do anything," Edward corrected.

"No... you're... I mean," I stammered. "I am not going to be a burden."

"Bella, I think you are reading far too much into this."

"No, I'm not. She was just trying to prove a point. She was just trying to show you that as long as you hang out with me... you can't have your usual life of popularity and parties. If I go with you though... it's going to prove her wrong."

"That's not a sacrifice you have to make," he insisted.

"I am not a coward," I said under my breath.

"I never accused you of being a-"

"She pretty much just did."

He was silent for a moment before sighing, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes."

He didn't seem like he was done discussing it yet, but the bell rang. We all stood simultaneously to clear our trays. Edward's brow was furrowed, deep in thought as he gave me a quick smile and a "See you in class".

I was about to head off in the opposite direction toward my locker when I small hand snaked around my upper arm and pulled me back.

"I can help you," Alice whispered.

"What?" I frowned.

"You can borrow some of my clothes and I can do your hair and stuff..." she smiled. "That is... if you want."

"Oh... um.. yeah, sure." I nodded, realizing that there was no way I could look presentable for a party without her help.

"Great. I'll meet you after school and you can follow me home."

"I... oh. Okay," I nodded cooperatively.

She flashed me a huge grin and then skipped to Jasper's side.

"Edward is going to kill you," I heard him mutter to her as they walked in the opposite direction.

Shaking my head as if to sort out my thoughts, I made my way to my own locker. When I arrived, the two girls who shared a locker next to my own were deep in conversation.

"What are you wearing?" The blonde one asked around blowing a bubble of bright pink gum.

"I don't know... you think we should go shopping first? We can't wear old clothes. Pretty much the whole school is going to be there. Or... at least, everyone who is important." The brunette replied, running a comb through her hair and applying lip gloss in the mirror that was conveniently installed in her locker.

"We probably should."

I rolled my eyes as I realized what they were discussing. People who based their lives and social statuses around parties like this were absolutely pathetic.

I slammed the door to my locker and took a step, but froze almost immediately as a thought struck me.

I was going to a party tonight. I was going to _that _party tonight. With Edward. At Tanya's house. Where half of the school would be present. I was going with Edward to Tanya's party. I was Edward's date to Tanya's party.

I was Edward's _date_.

"Oh my god," I muttered. What had I gotten myself into?

* * *

a/n: HEY BBZ! I got a new job, which is why this chapter took so godawfully long. SORRY BOUT THAT! I've almost got chapter 10 done, and it's very action packed. :)

special thanks to Kaitlyn and Stephanie, my fabulous betas!

if you're an author and want to post your stories somewhere, a good friend of mine just started a new site for fanfiction. Similar to twilighted, just not as hardcore strict. . :) It's a work in progress, but alot of people need to join so it can be epic, kay bbz?

and reviews are fabulous. It will give me something to do while sitting at my desk through work today.

ILY!


	10. Chapter 10

Edward's POV

"I can't believe you did that," I hissed at Alice as I slammed my locker door.

"Did what?" she threw her arms out defensively.

"Pressured Bella into going to the party like that," I scowled.

"I didn't pressure her. She could have said no… but it was better if Tanya thought we were going anyway. It was the only way she was going to walk away without making some sort of a scene. It would have been all over the school in seconds that we were refusing to go to her parties. And besides, you heard Bella. She wants to go."

"She doesn't want to go," I growled. "She's only doing it because she thinks that's what I want."

"Is it what you want?" Alice asked softly.

"Well… it would be nice for Bella to be comfortable enough to go out with me in public," I started. "But, Alice… do you really think that one of _Tanya's_ parties is the best place for that to happen at this point? I mean… Bella's not very social to begin with, and I don't want to force too much on her."

"I think you're underestimating the amount she likes you," Alice smirked.

I frowned at her.

"Just the fact that she offered to do this is telling enough. She must like you a lot more than either of us anticipated. This is a big step for her."

I paused for a moment, reflecting on my sisters words before realizing that she had a point. Her face lit up in a grin as I relaxed my shoulders and nodded once.

"Edward's got a date with Bella Swan tonight," she teased, punching me lightly in the shoulder.

My eyes widened. "Oh my God… this is a date, isn't it? Shit… this isn't what I wanted our first real date to be like." I bit my lip.

"It's your second date," Alice corrected, shutting her locker too.

"I don't think the first one really counted."

"It counted," she assured me. "Oh, and there's something I should tell you…" she bit her lip sheepishly.

"What?" I groaned.

"Now's probably not the best time. We're going to be late. I'll tell you before next period. Good luck on your practical." She spoke quickly and disappeared almost immediately, scampering down the hallway without a backward glance.

Shaking my head in mild irritation, I made my way to Biology class.

Bella was going over last minute notes when I arrived, so I didn't interrupt her. I took out my own notes and did the same even though I wasn't the least bit concerned about the test. Hopefully I would get a few extra minutes at the end of class to talk to her. It all depended on how quickly the other students finished the test. No one was allowed to socialize until every single paper had been handed in.

Luckily, we had about ten minutes to talk at the end of class. Bella and I were two of the first ones finished, but no one could go back to their seats until everyone was done. It wasn't surprising that the last one finished was Tanya.

"How do you think you did?" I asked Bella casually as we took our seats.

"Pretty good. I was only stumped on one question, so I took an educated guess."

"That's good," I nodded. "So, um… about tonight.."

"I already talked to Alice about it. I'm going to follow her to your house after school apparently, so you don't have to worry about it."

"Wait…" I shook my head. "You talked to Alice about what?"

"She offered to help me get ready," a slight blush crept into Bella's cheeks. "I really don't have anything to wear so she told me she would help me.."

"Oh, Bella…" I started apologetically. "You don't have to subject yourself to that. I'm sorry… Alice can be really nosy and overbearing sometimes."

"It's totally fine," Bella waved her hand as if to push the thought away. "I will probably end up needing her help more than I am willing to admit anyway."

"Oh, okay…" I nodded, "But if you don't want to be her guinea pig, I will totally help you get out of it."

"It's fine," she smiled.

A loud chorus of chairs scraping against the floor accompanied the loud bell ring and we both stood to gather our books.

"Alright, well.. I have to stop and get gas on my way home from school today, so I guess I will see you guys there. I'll tell Alice not to speed so much seeing as you're going to be following her," I attempted to wink at her, but I think it ended up looking like a slight face spasm because I noticed that she suppressed a laugh.

"Kay," she smiled.

I fell into the line of students leaving the room behind Bella and made my way back to my locker. I paced myself until I was several steps behind her so as not to seem like I was stalking her or something. I watched as she turned her shoulders every now and then to slide unnoticed through a group of people. She was actually really good at maneuvering the congested hallway without getting in anyone's way.

"Enjoying the view?"

I started and looked to my left. Emmett had caught up to me and was grinning suggestively.

"What?"

He jerked his head toward Bella and I followed his gesture, immediately realizing what he was accusing me of.

"Oh, no… I was just..."

"Yeah, I bet," he winked.

I rolled my eyes and changed the subject. "You going tonight?"

"Yeah…you?"

"Yeah," I grimaced. "Bella is going too..."

"I heard about that," He raised his eyebrows and nodded. "I don't know man. I think it's great that she's going with you and everything… but I think Tanya is up to something. I mean…. I saw her at the table and the wheels were definitely spinning. And you know as well as I do how rarely that happens. I think she has less than respectable intentions, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I agree," I grimaced again. "But Bella feels like she has to do this, you know?"

"Well, she seems like a nice girl. You seem to really like her."

"Yeah, man. I do." I nodded.

"Well make sure you bring her over. I want to meet this chick that has Edward Cullen defying the laws of the Queen."

"Laws of-" I scoffed, "Whatever, man. I'll see you tonight."

"Later," he clapped me on the back once and made a beeline toward his locker. When I turned my attention back, Bella was nowhere to be found.

"So..." I began, leaning against my locker and giving Alice a pointed stare.

She winced, "Please don't kill me. I was just trying to help."

"You're so invasive," I sighed.

"Are you mad?"

"I would be…except for the fact that Bella seems almost enthusiastic about it."

She grinned, "Don't worry. You'll thank me later. I promise."

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't embarrass her too much. Be nice."

"Always," she beamed, slamming her locker door and heading off toward her last class for the day.

---- - --- -- -- - - - - ---- -- - -- ---- -------- --- --- --- -- -- -- -- - --- - -- - --- - -- - --- - -

Bella's POV

If it weren't for Alice, I never would have found the driveway to the Cullen house a second time. It was hidden behind masses of trees and entirely invisible until you had already driven past it. Once I was faced with the elegant mansion again, my nerves sprung into overdrive. It looked so much more impressive in the daylight. Granted, the day was overcast, so there wasn't much sun, but it wasn't past midnight like the last time I had been here.

My truck rumbled to a halt just behind Alice's bright car. My entire truck rattled when I slammed the door shut. Alice didn't even use the door. It was a rare sunny day in Forks, her top was down. She lithely jumped over the door and jogged over to me.

"That was almost unbearable, driving that slow..."

"We were going ten miles over the posted speed!" I pointed out.

"Slow," she confirmed again. "Let's go."

I sighed and turned to follow her, but she stopped in her tracks.

"Oh," her face fell suddenly and twisted into a frown.

"What?"

"I just realized that the first time you're going to meet the parents -" she put a very suggestive emphasis on the last three words. "-and Edward is not even here to introduce you."

"Why is that a problem?"

"Traditionally, Edward should be the one to introduce you."

"Traditionally? Alice, you're reading far too much into this."

"No."

"Yes."

"Bella, trust me," she sighed. "I see things that you don't. Just… trust me on this one."

I frowned and fell into step behind her. I hadn't known Alice for very long, but I knew it was pointless to argue with her.

"Maybe I'll just sneak you upstairs and we can introduce you to Mom and Dad later when Ed's home."

"Alice, it's really not-"

"Yes, that's what we'll do," she cut me off. "Come on."

With a groan of resignation, I followed her through the door and into the house.

"Alice, you home?" I heard a pleasant woman's voice echo through the white hallway.

"Yeah, I have to go get Bella and I ready. We'll be down in a little bit." Alice replied, grabbing my arm and hauling me through the house with surprising force for such a small person. I barely had enough time to study my new surroundings.

The house was even more impressive on the inside than it was from the outside. It was very bright and open. The immaculately polished hardwood floors nicely complimented the pure white walls. The staircase was coupled with a glass railing that was so perfectly cleaned that it almost looked nonexistent. Like the metal rail on top of it was hovering in the air instead of resting upon a thick sheet of curved glass.

Pictures of various family outings lined the walls ascending the stairs. I did the best I could to avert my eyes from them, but I couldn't help but take a second glance at a few; especially the ones where Edward was smiling and happy. There was something about his smile that was so breathtaking and captivating.

"Bathroom, Ed's Room, guest room, Parent's room, Library," Alice said, pointing out the different rooms with her free hand as she dragged me through the hallway. "My room."

We were stopped in front of the last room in the hallway. Alice threw me a quick grin before pushing the door open and pulling me inside.

Alice's room was the size of my entire upstairs back at my house. The carpeting was brilliant white and the walls were a very light pink. The wall facing the door was almost entirely covered in crystal clear glass windows. I made a mental note to find out what kind of glass cleaner they used around their house and wondered how many birds flew into the windows on a daily basis.

Alice pulled me past the giant four poster bed and toward another door which opened into the bathroom.

"Whoa," I felt my jaw drop.

"What?"

"This is your… _bathroom?_"

"Yes. Why?"

"This is bigger than my bedroom."

She laughed.

"No… this is bigger than _your_ bedroom..."

"I wish," she sighed. "Mom wouldn't go for that when I asked."

The room was huge. Half of it was a large walk in closet, but the other half contained a walk-in shower, a Jacuzzi tub, and a large mirror and vanity area.

_So this is how the other half lives,_ I thought to myself as Alice gestured me into a pink boutique chair.

"Alice, you really don't have t-"

"Ah, ah, ah," Alice held up a finger to silence me. "Let me explain something to you. I don't mean any offense by this, okay?"

"Okay," I allowed.

"Tanya is feeling very smug right now. She thinks that your presence at this party is going to be a disaster, at best. It is my one true dream in life…okay, my one true dream that doesn't revolve around clothes," she frowned and shook her head a little as if to clear away the confusing thought. "Anyway, it is my dream in life to disappoint Tanya every chance I get. So far, I've been quite unsuccessful because she usually gets everything she wants one way or another. Until you came along, that is."

I frowned.

"You took Edward right out from underneath her. I can't even express how priceless that is."

"Especially since I'm a nobody," I muttered.

"Past tense, thank you very much. Especially after I'm through with you. People wouldn't dare call you a nobody."

I gulped and turned toward the mirror, studying my reflection. Alice must have caught my flinch because she gave me a reassuring grin and said, "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

The next two hours went by surprisingly quickly, with the exception of the twenty minutes she spent focusing on the shape of my eyebrows. She kept me turned away from the mirror the entire time and forbade me to look. She had a large leather pink purse that was filled with objects that were completely foreign to me. Some she used on my hair, others on my face. She never stopped talking once.

"While you're there, talk to everyone. Smile a lot. Try to look natural. You have a really nice complexion by the way."

"Thanks?"

"Being that you're the police chief's daughter, you really shouldn't drink…just in case. Make sure you always have a drink in your hand though, that way no one offers you another one. And never accept something that someone else gives you unless it's someone you know, like Edward or I. People are stupid and they do stupid things when they're drunk. Alcohol, when added to pre-existing ignorance, is dangerous. Trust me. Close your eyes."

I did as she instructed and felt the sharp point of what I assumed was an eyeliner pencil trace over my eyelids several times while she continued talking.

"Don't dance, either. There is always music, but no one really dances anymore. Also, don't go to the bathroom alone. Always knock before you go into a room. You never know who is inside of it…or what they're doing..."

"Alice, are you sure about this?"

"Of course I am. I've been on the other side of that closed door a couple of times in my life, so I know what I'm talking about."

"No, not that. I mean…as a whole."

"What's not to be sure of?"

"I'm not…" I hesitated. "This isn't who I am. I don't party, I never…"

"Bella," she hesitated, pulling the eyeliner away from my eye. I opened them and looked at her. Her face was full of genuine sincerity as she continued. "If you don't want to do this, Edward will understand."

"He can just go without me, right?"

"Yes, but he won't."

"You're right. I already talked big and said that I would be there. I can't embarrass him like that."

"No, it isn't that. I don't think he would want to go without you."

"Why not?"

She bit down on her lip and hesitated again. "He really likes you, you know."

I was silent, almost disbelieving.

"He likes you more than he liked Tanya. I can't even explain to you how grateful I am for that. I mean… everyone who really knew him knew that Tanya was all wrong for him. It killed me to watch him try so hard to be someone he wasn't just to get her attention."

Her face was pained, as if looking back on the way he used to be was causing her grief.

"I think after he met you, he realized that what he felt for Tanya wasn't real. It was…artificial, almost. Like he only liked her because he was expected to."

Her expression grew distant, as if she was deep in thought. I subtly settled into my chair, waiting for her to return to the present.

She was silent for another moment before she started back on my eye makeup. When she was finished, she turned away from me to begin rummaging in her bag.

"You're good for him," she said suddenly, a distinct tone of decisiveness echoing in her voice. "You're what he needs."

I didn't say anything.

"You probably haven't realized it yet. I don't even think he does. But… you fixed him. And being the annoying little sister that cares about him much more than I would ever admit to his face, I am eternally in your debt for that."

I opened my mouth, but still didn't know what to say. She didn't seem to notice that I wasn't responding. She was scrutinizing two different tubes in her hands. It took a moment before she threw one of them back into the bag and opened the other one.

"Close," she said pointedly, gesturing at my mouth. I snapped my mouth shut immediately and she applied a gooey substance over my lips.

"Smudge," she ordered.

"Umm..."

She sighed, a corner of her mouth twisting into an amused smile before rolling her lips over one another as example.

"Oh," I felt myself blush. She gave me an approving nod as I did what she showed me.

She turned away and rummaged in a drawer, producing a large curling iron. As it was heating up, she applied her makeup. It fascinated me that she didn't even need a mirror. Everything she did was flawless, perfected like some rare art.

"What?" she shook her head, catching my open-mouthed gaze.

"I…nothing. You're just so good at..." I gestured with my hand towards the eyeliner pen in her hand as it was suspended mid stroke.

Alice let out a slight chuckle, "Years of practice."

She resumed her instructions on proper-party-etiquette as she rolled the large barrel of the curling iron through my hair repeatedly.

"…Oh, and don't let any of the jocks hit on you. Just avoid them."

"I don't think I have to worry about that, Alice," I mumbled.

"Hm," she chuckled. "Whatever you say, Bella. Oh! By the way, do you have a curfew?"

"Oh, um…not really," I said uncertainly. I didn't want to imply that it was okay for me to be out all night, but I didn't want to seem like a goody-two-shoes, either. "Well, I obviously didn't tell my dad I was going to a party…he would have killed me…But when I told him I was hanging out with a friend tonight, he looked like he was ready to sing," I grimaced at the thought of Charlie singing.

"Oh…I take it you don't go out often and hang out with friends?"

I laughed slightly. "Friends, or lack thereof."

"You couldn't have had _no_ friends," Alice protested, placing her hands on her hips.

"Well, there's Jacob," I allowed.

Her face fell. "Jacob?" she echoed warily.

"He's just a friend. We've known each other since we were little."

"Oh, well that's nice. You never hung out with him?"

"If you consider watching the Mariners or fixing cars hanging out, then I guess so."

"Oh, he's that kind of friend..." she mumbled.

"What?"

"The kind of friend who you watch sports with."

"…Alice…what?"

"Guys think that's hot."

"What?" I repeated.

"A girl who is into sports. Guys think that's hot."

"Oh, no…No, Alice. It's not like that. Jacob and I are platonic friends. End of story."

"Does Jacob know this?"

"Yes, he does."

She smiled disbelievingly and continued rolling the curler through my hair. "Anyway…curfew?"

"No curfew. He basically told me that he didn't care when I got home as long as I stayed out of trouble and didn't get into another accident…"

"Good. I mean, not that I expect to be there really late…but, it's better to not have time limits. Sometimes the party is a bust and we end up home early, but sometimes we don't get in until 3 in the morning. It just depends."

I felt my eyes get big, but I concealed my expression of terror as quickly as I could. Obviously not quick enough, though.

"But you can just tell Edward if you want to go home. I'm sure he'll have no problem. I mean, if you're not having fun-"

"No, that's not it. I've just never really stayed up past 1 on purpose before. You might have to drag me out of there."

"You'll be fine," she winked. "Ever tried Red Bull?"

"No…"

"That's what you should drink. It's non alcoholic, and it's an energy drink. It works wonders. Plus, Tanya is sure to have a big stock of it there. Jager bombs are a big hit with the jock crowd."

"Jager…what?"

"Jager bombs," she repeated. "It's a mix of red bull and Jagermeister. I don't like it very much. I think the jager tastes like black licorice," she made a face. "I prefer to mix red bull with cherry vodka or something like that."

"Oh," I nodded, trying to sound like I was following.

"You've never drank before, right?"

"Oh, um…no," I blushed.

"Okay, don't start tonight. I don't want a first time drinker on my hands. If you want to do that you can come over here next weekend and we can get you sloshed in the safety of our home rather than out in public."

"Um…that's okay," I bit my lip.

"Ah, ah!" she scolded quickly, "Lipstick!"

"Oh, I forgot."

"You're like that girl in the movie "Clueless". You know, the one that they makeover?"

"I like Brittany Murphy, so that's not a bad thing to me..." I shrugged, silently priding myself on the fact that I caught a modern pop culture reference.

"I like her too. I guess that would make me Alicia Silverstone, though…and she kind of irritates the shit out of me, so let's forget the 'Clueless' metaphor." She stepped back from me and cocked her head to the side, studying her work for a moment before a smile spread across her face.

"There. Finished. Ready to see?"

"Yeah, sure." I tried to sound nonchalant as she swung my chair around to face the mirror. Unfortunately, my loud gasp gave away my surprise.

Alice beamed even more as I studied my foreign looking reflection.

My eyebrows were suddenly perfectly and professionally sculpted. My cheeks had a soft red glow to them, though I couldn't tell whether that was my own natural blush or if she had added that in herself. My lips were a glossy, yet subtle, red. My eyes were outlined in black and my eyelashes were noticeable for the first time in my life. There was a faded grey eye shadow over my lids that faded into a lighter color and then blended into my skin flawlessly. My usually limp and lifeless hair was molded into gentle, shiny curls that cascaded down my shoulders. I looked almost unrecognizable, but upon further scrutiny…it was undeniably Bella Swan. Just…a different version of Bella Swan.

"Wow…" I breathed.

Alice continued to smile for another moment before suddenly saying, "You have really good skin. Seriously. Your complexion is damn near perfect. I'm quite jealous."

I was still speechless. I just stared at myself in the mirror, trying to memorize what I looked like, doubting that after tonight I would ever receive an Alice makeover again. Despite what I looked like, I was almost guaranteed to make a fool of myself tonight.

"Okay," Alice checked the clock on the wall behind her. "We're right on schedule. Time for clothes."

"I don't think I'm going to fit into your clothes," I winced, tearing my eyes away from the mirror to give her a sheepish grimace.

"Please," she rolled her eyes. "Come on."

EPOV

"Edward, you're wearing a hole in the carpet," my mother sighed from her perch on the couch.

I stopped pacing and sat down beside her.

"What's got your panties in a bunch?" she smirked, swirling around the dark colored wine in her crystal bowl glass.

"Nothing," I lied.

"She's in good hands," she smiled, patting my leg. I should have known better than to try to lie to my mother. "I just wish Alice would have let me meet her before dragging Bella off to her torture dungeon."

I shot her an exasperated glance and she laughed. "I'm just joking. Alice promised you she would be gentle. Trust her."

I was about to respond when I heard the familiar crunch of gravel in the driveway. I craned my neck to see, although I knew it was Jasper. He sprinted up the sidewalk and let himself in the front door.

"Hey, Jazz," Esme smiled without turning to even see who it was.

"Hey, Mom," Jasper smiled, leaning over the couch to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Hittin' the grapes early today, huh?" He gestured to the glass of wine in her hand.

"It's the weekend," she sighed, waving her hand in the air dismissively.

"What's up?" Jasper grinned, extending a hand to me. I grabbed it and clapped him on the back once as he sank down onto the couch. "Does Alice still have your girlfriend in her clutches?"

"Dude, why?" I shook my head at him in exasperation as Esme shook with silent laughter beside me.

"I told you she was your girlfriend," she snorted.

I was about to repay Jasper with physical harm when I heard the click of a door from somewhere upstairs. My heart started beating in double time as I heard Alice's tinkling laugh echoing down the staircase. Alice appeared first, though she was barely worth a double-take, for me. She was wearing a slightly less than knee-length white ruffled skirt with a pink halter top. It was nothing extravagant as far as I was concerned. I was used to seeing Alice like that. Still, though, Jasper's sharp intake of breath was enough to tell me that they would be disappearing from the party halfway through the night again.

Alice paused on the stairs and turned around, gesturing for Bella to follow her.

"What?" Alice whispered in response to something Bella whispered before that I couldn't hear.

"Oh, Bella. You'll live. Come on," Alice groaned, not completing her descent of the stairs until Bella had begun.

"Ow," I heard Bella hiss as her foot appeared on the top step. I could see now why she was complaining. Alice had her in a pair of heels.

The shoes only held my attention for a fraction of a second, though. Slowly, my eyes traveled upward, grazing over the flawless legs and smooth knees until the cadet blue colored dress got in the way. I had never seen so much of Bella's skin before. She was always wearing jeans and thermals to school, and there was so much more of her to take in now. I gulped as she came fully into view. She was wearing an unfamiliar V-neck dress with a pleated empire waist and modest, yet slightly revealing length to it. I was barely surprised that I had never seen that particular garment of Alice's yet. Her closet could disorient Chuck Norris. I smirked at the thought.

It took a moment, but I finally managed to pull my eyes away from the bare skin of her arms. Once my attention reached her face, I felt my eyes widen in awe and I took a moment to reel myself back in. Alice had no doubt caught my expression, and I could nearly feel her radiating smugness from beside me. Bella had always had this subtle beauty to her. I had always found her attractive and pretty in her own ways, but now it was broadcast in twelve languages. Alice had completely transformed her. To call her stunning would have been a disgraceful understatement. If there was any person left at that party that was that doubted my sanity, I dared them to continue after they saw her tonight.

Finally, everyone else would see what I had seen all along. I saw Bella. Beautiful, gorgeous, perfectly imperfect Bella.

How the fuck was I supposed to keep my hands off of her tonight?

"Isabella," My mother broke the awkward silence as Bella neared the bottom of the stairs.

"Bella," Alice and I corrected together.

"Sorry, Bella," Esme edited. "It's so nice to finally meet you," she reached out for her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Bella looked slightly stunned for a moment, but returned the hug without missing a beat.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Cullen."

"Oh, please, honey - call me Esme."

Bella bobbed her head awkwardly once.

"Oh, well..." Esme suddenly shook herself out of her daze and began shooing us toward the door. "You guys have a party to get to, don't let me slow you down. No drugs, no cops, be home before morning. If you drink, I had better not find out about it, and _you_ -" She turned menacingly toward me, her pointer finger extended. "- had better drive carefully."

"Yes, mom," I sighed.

"Have a nice time," she opened the front door and ushered us out.

I let out a deep breath and followed Alice, Jasper, and Bella out the door.

"Hi," I whispered into Bella's ear.

She giggled slightly, "Hi."

"You look amazing."

"Thanks," she blushed. "You clean up pretty nicely yourse- _oof,"_

I had seen her heel catch on the porch steps and anticipated the result before it happened. I quickly thrust out my arms to catch her shoulders as she began to topple over. I tried not to focus on how smooth her skin was as I helped steady her.

"Crap," she muttered. "That was embarrassing. Thanks."

I chuckled, "It's Alice's fault for making you wear death traps on your feet."

"I couldn't talk her out of them. I tried to tell her that a lack of coordination added to a 4 inch elevation would not end well…"

"But your legs look hot as hell," Alice chirped from ahead of us without turning around. Bella's pre-existing blush deepened and she quickly began focusing on the ground, letting our conversation drop.

"See you there," Alice threw a smile over her shoulder towards us as she climbed into Jasper's Hummer.

I sprinted a few feet ahead to my Volvo and held the door open for Bella. She gave me a small smile and ducked into the vehicle. Jasper had already pulled off and sped down the road before I had even gotten in and started the car.

I pressed the number six button on the CD player and Ludovico Einaudi began filtering through the speakers. Bella smiled again.

"Don't let me forget to make you a CD of this music," I started conversationally.

"Yeah, I have to get you one of Yiruma, too," she nodded.

My phone went off in my pocket. I read it quickly as I was stopped at a stop sign.

_Who's the best sister in the world?_

I rolled my eyes and snapped the phone shut without responding to Alice's message.

"Um, what time did you tell your dad you would be home?"

"Oh, I didn't. He was kind of elated that I had plans on a Friday night, so he's being extraordinarily lenient."

"I see. Well, is there any particular time you would like to get home?"

"Um," she hesitated for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "Not really. I mean, I'm not used to being up really late, so I'll probably be tired really fast, but other than that…"

"Well let me know when you start getting tired, okay? I don't want to make you drive home battling exhaustion."

She bobbed her head in agreement once and then we both fell silent and began listening to the smooth instrumentals flowing out of the speakers. I made a special effort to appreciate the music, knowing that in a few short minutes it would be replaced by deafening hip-hop beats and lyrics with no relevance to anything important.

Bella began fidgeting a noticeable amount as we pulled into Tanya's driveway. Compared to my house, Tanya's was like the white house. Three stories tall and made of solid brick, except for the white marble columns baroquing the front of it. Complete with a fountain smack-dab in the middle of the circular driveway, this was by far the most ostentatious home in Forks. Even halfway down the drive we could feel the pulsing beats of the music. A group of our classmates lingered just outside of the doors, all equipped with red plastic cups. One obvious lightweight was already puking in the bushes and it was only shortly after eight.

I spotted Jasper's Hummer and slowed down my car to study it for a moment.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked, trying to follow my gaze.

"Jasper's car," I gestured toward it with my head.

"Oh…" she trailed off, still obviously confused.

I flicked my eyes at her and then explained with a sigh "I'm making sure that Alice and Jasper aren't _in_ the vehicle before I go parking next to it."

"Oh," she said again, this time with much more understanding.

After I was satisfied that Jasper and Alice were not in the vehicle, I swung my Volvo in beside it and turned off the engine. I glanced at Bella quickly, but she didn't return my gaze. She was staring very determinedly at the dashboard, her shoulders rising and falling as she took in several deep breaths.

"Ready?" I asked.

She took one more deep breath and turned to look at me. She nodded once and reached for the door handle. I did the same and quickly met her around on the passenger side to shut her door for her. I held out my arm, more for support than courteousness at this point. The last thing I wanted was for her to trip and fall in front of everyone. Not that it would embarrass me, but it would certainly cause her embarrassment. My goal for the night was to get through it with minimal embarrassment on Bella's part. She took my arm and followed my lead toward the brick walk leading toward the house.

Even before we had entered the house, I felt the eyes. Everyone in the group outside the house had caught sight of Bella and hushed immediately, elbowing each other in the ribs and gesturing towards us. I smirked, but I could almost feel the heat begin to radiate off of Bella. This was the kind of embarrassment that was acceptable. I had mixed feelings about it, though. On one hand, I was thrilled that people were finally seeing Bella the way I saw her, but on the other hand…when it was just me who saw her that way, I had much less competition. Now every straight male at this party would have pictured her naked at least once before the night was over. And now that I had thought about that, I was picturing her naked.

_Damn it, Edward. Get a hold of yourself. This is not the time to lose your head to petty desires like that._

I didn't even bother knocking on the door. Some people thought it was common courtesy to knock on the door at a party, but I knew well enough that there was no possible way that a knock on the door or even a bazooka horn as a doorbell could be heard over the noise inside that house. I turned the big brass doorknob and pushed the door open.

Bella and I both flinched at the overpowering sound of music and chatter as we entered. No one seemed to take notice of us at first, but then again, it only took one person. A cheerleader who had made a pass at me a few times in the beginning of the year was the first to see us. Her eyes bulged and she quickly poked her finger into the ribs of the girl next to her, who turned quickly to see what the fuss was. After that, the news of our arrival spread like wildfire. It had made it all the way through the main room before we had even gotten that far. Eyes were drawn to us like magnets. Not us, Bella. I was old news, now. The stunning woman beside me was the real reason for gossip. I could see the awe in their faces as they looked her up and down. Some of them with confusion, trying to figure out who exactly she was. Some of them with disbelief, knowing exactly who she was but unable to accept the sudden transformation.

I could only imagine how uncomfortable Bella was. I was the most uncomfortable I had been in a long time, and I was just standing beside the object of everyone's attention. I suddenly felt an urge to pull her into my chest and protect her from the sudden scrutiny she had been placed under. Luckily for me, though, Alice jumped into the picture and distracted us both.

"Hey guys!" she grinned, pushing her way through the crowd with Jasper towed just behind. "What took you so long?"

"We only went ten miles over the speed limit," I explained sarcastically.

"Oh," she crinkled her nose in distaste.

Jasper's lips moved, then, but I couldn't understand what he said.

"What?" I leaned my head toward him to hear better as he repeated. I still didn't catch what he said, though.

"What?" I repeated.

"He said that Tanya has been waiting for you to get here," Bella shouted over the noise.

I gave her a confused glance. How had she heard him when she was a foot farther away than I was?

"I'm really good at reading lips," she explained.

I was about to reply when I heard a different voice sound from behind me.

"Edward!"

I turned quickly to see Tanya walking toward me, flanked on both sides by Kate and Irina. Tanya didn't even look at Bella; she kept her hungry eyes glued onto me.

"So glad you could make it," she said loudly, using the noise as an excuse to press herself close against me while she said it. I took a step away from her and forced a curt smile, tightening my elbow against my side and pinning Bella's hand to me like I was using her as a protective force field. Conveniently, Tanya caught the gesture and it brought her attention to Bella. In a period of about three seconds, I saw seven different emotions cross Tanya's face. Smugness turned to surprise which turned to confusion which turned to realization which turned to shock which turned to anger which was quickly covered by a very unauthentic smile.

"Bella, so glad you could make it, too…You look so different, I barely recognized you..."

Bella didn't say anything.

"Edward, haven't you offered Bella a drink yet? Goodness, sometimes you can be so rude. Bella, would you like a drink? I'll go get you a drink."

"No, Tanya. I'll get her a drink," Alice stepped in quickly exchanging an unreadable glance with Bella before hurrying off toward the long table covered with tubs of ice and different drinks.

Tanya scowled at Alice as she walked off before plastering the fake grin back on her face and turning back toward us.

"Well, have fun, I guess."

Bella smiled and nodded once. I nodded, but didn't allow her a smile.

Alice passed by Tanya on her way back toward us. She handed both Bella and I a can of Red Bull. "You're driving tonight," she reminded me unnecessarily. I nodded and accepted the energy drink with a gratuitous thanks.

"I love this song!" Alice bounced a little before downing her Smirnoff.

It only took me another two seconds to figure out what the song was. It was "I Wanna" by All-American Rejects. It was actually a good song, in comparison to most of the rap and perverse hip-hop that was usually played here.

"I wanna, I wanna, I wanna touch you. You wanna touch me too." Alice sang, wrapping her arms around Jaspers neck and pressing her small body against his. He smiled and rolled his eyes before kissing her lightly on the lips. I turned away from them, feeling awkward and found Bella doing the same thing.

We stood awkwardly for a moment, not speaking. When we finally looked back up at each other, we found that we were both mouthing the lyrics to the song at the same time.

_I never thought that I was so blind  
I can finally see the truth  
It's me for you_

She ran her hand through her hair and smiled timidly at me, "You like them?"

"The All-American Rejects?"

She nodded, although I don't think she could hear me.

"Yeah, I like most of their music."

The rest of the evening followed in a similar manner. Small talk was pointless because it was too hard to hear, we exchanged several comments on the music and Alice chattered away animatedly at us with Jasper staring off into space. None of us could hear what Alice was saying anyway, and I'm quite sure that Bella stopped trying to read her lips after the first minute or so.

Several people tried to get me on their team for the beer pong tournament, which I repeatedly denied saying that I wasn't drinking. Instead, Bella and I moved over to the tables to watch. The music was turned down at this point so that people could focus on the game, so it was easier to explain the rules to Bella.

"Basically they're just trying to get the balls into the cups on the end. When they do, the other team has to drink the beer out of the cup and then the cup is removed from the game. The first team to get all of their cups off the other side of the table wins.""And the losing team gets drunk off their asses as a consolation prize," she nodded.

I laughed, "Yeah, pretty much."

Was it weird that I was almost turned on by the fact that she had just swore?

We watched the game for a while, making comments on random things until Alice and Jasper came up behind us.

"Rose and Emmett are finally here. They're coming over to talk to you."

I craned my neck around Alice to see that Emmett and Rose were in fact headed over toward us.

"Hey, bro," Emmett greeted, clapping me on the back.

"What's up?"

"Not much, just a typical Friday, right?" He glanced quickly at Bella, did a double take, and then glanced back at me.

"Oh! Right, sorry," I apologized quickly. "Emmett, Rose, this is Bella. Bella, Emmett, Rose."

"Hi," Bella rocked on her heels a little, obviously nervous.

"Bella, nice to finally meet you," Emmett did a theatric bow and kissed her hand. I bit down the absurd jealousy I felt at his nonchalant action. Little did he know that I had wanted to do something equivalent to that all night.

Bella smiled in response and giggled lightly.

"Hi, Bella. You look…I mean, it's nice to meet you," Rose nodded. I knew immediately that Emmett must have had a talk with her. She normally wasn't that warm to people who she didn't know.

"Nice to meet you too," Bella nodded in return.

We exchanged a few more minutes of small talk before something caught my eye. James Damon was staring fixatedly at Bella from across the room. I hadn't quite registered the look in his eye when his attention was drawn elsewhere. His arm was around Tanya's waist at that moment, and nothing could have angered Tanya more than him looking at Bella like that. She snapped her fingers in front of his face and then began assaulting him with her high pitched voice.

I felt Bella shift beside me and made note that she looked suddenly anxious.

"You okay?" I whispered, leaning my head closer to hers to make the statement more private.

"Yeah, I'm just a little warm."

"Do you want to step outside for some fresh air?"

She looked up at me for a moment and then glanced around the room quickly before nodding.

Jasper and Emmett were now involved in a riveting conversation about the Mariners and Alice and Rosalie were discussing hair products.

"We're going to get some fresh air," I whispered quickly to Alice. She nodded once and winked before returning to her conversation.

As we turned toward the door, I suddenly realized how packed the place had become since we had arrived. I almost felt claustrophobic as I tried to push my way through the groups of people. I debated for a second before turning back to Bella and extending my hand to her. She didn't even seem to hesitate before placing her hand in mine and letting me lead her through the crowd to the door.

Something happened when her hand linked in mine. I couldn't quite recognize what it was, but there was some kind electricity that passed between us. My heart leapt with joy when we had finally made it through the crowds and I loosened my grip to find that she did not let go. In fact, she didn't let go until we were outside in the fresh air. She moved to sit on the steps and I did the same.

"Oh, here," I pulled the jacket off of my shoulders and set it over her bare shoulders to protect her from the cold night air.

"Oh, that's…" she seemed about ready to protest, but decided against it. "Thanks," she smiled.

We were silent for a moment, listening to the chirping crickets fight against the chatter inside the house.

"Are you having a good time?" I asked impulsively, immediately regretting it. I sounded like an idiot.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"That didn't sound very enthusiastic," I raised my eyebrow at her.

She looked up at me for a moment before sighing, "Everyone stares at me."

"For obvious reasons."

"Not really," she mumbled.

"What are you talking about?" I scoffed.

She rolled her eyes and picked at a blade of grass. "I'm not new or anything. I've known most of these people for like, two years. It's suddenly like I'm the new girl all over again."

"That's not why they're staring," I chuckled.

"I don't get it," she continued. "Just because Alice put me in a dress and curled my hair I'm suddenly shiny and new again?"

"Bella…" I started, "It's not that you're shiny and new. It's just the shock to them that they've all overlooked you for the past two years. I felt the same way when I first got to know you. I felt like an idiot."

She frowned and turned to look at me questioningly.

I continued, "If I had known how amazing you were two years ago, I wouldn't have spent so much time going through shallow and conceited girls trying to find that 'something more'." My stomach suddenly clenched as I realized how abruptly candid I was being with her. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, but I suddenly couldn't stop myself from telling her exactly how I felt.

"What do you mean?"

_She had to ask, didn't she.._

"I like you, Bella." _Oh, no. What was I doing. Shut up, Edward, before you scare her away._ "I like you a lot."

_Dumb ass._

She returned her attention to the blade of grass again, biting her lip. My heart sunk with every additional second she remained silent before finally, "I like you too."

I grinned like an idiot. Elation welled up inside of me like a great balloon, inflating my self confidence to monumental levels.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Even the crickets shut up.

_Shit,_ I thought. _I didn't say that out loud._

She slowly turned to face me, her jaw hung slightly open and her eyes full of awe.

_Fuck._

"I'm sorry," I backtracked quickly. "I don't know what I was…it just slipped out. I didn't mean to-"

"Yes."

I blinked several times. "You…yes?"

She nodded.

"Oh…well," I ran my fingers through my hair, unsure of what to say next. I finally settled on a simple, "Wow".

She was silent for a moment, studying me. Finally, she spoke again. "I'm glad I didn't have to go through countless assholes before I found 'something more'."

My heart leapt into my throat. I felt a huge smile spread across my face. She raised a corner of her mouth in response and bit her lip in contemplation. The small gesture immediately brought my attention to her lips and then there was only one thing on my mind. I tried to take a step back and survey the situation to determine if my impulse would be appropriate to follow through on. A small part of my brain was telling me to use caution. I hadn't scared her away yet, but my luck would run out eventually. Every other fiber of my being was telling me different though, including my sense of observation. The look in her eyes said that she was thinking the same thing. Before I had fully thought it through, I found myself leaning toward her. Her eyes widened for a split second, her breath caught in her throat. Then, ever so subtly, she began to lean toward me, too.

I was like a pre-pubescent boy with his first crush. I had kissed countless girls, but for some reason, I had never felt this nervous about it before.

Suddenly, the door to the house flew open with a loud bang. Mike Newton stumbled out onto the porch, veering directly toward the bushes behind us where he doubled himself over and began heaving.

Bella and I stood up quickly and moved away, the moment ruined.

"Wonderful," Bella groaned, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Hm, yeah," I rolled my eyes a little.

"We should probably get back inside anyway," Bella said softly.

"Yeah, we should," I agreed unenthusiastically.

"Thank you for your coat," she smiled, shrugging it off of her shoulders and handing it back to me.

"You're welcome. Um, I'm going to hit the restroom before I get back to the party, I think."

"Okay," she nodded. "I'll go find Alice."

I let her walk ahead of me, highly contemplating giving Mike a swift kick in the ass and sending him face first into the pile of his own vomit as I walked past him.

We went separate ways once back inside. I was second in line for the bathroom when I got there, and I didn't feel like going upstairs to the other bathroom, so I just waited. Five minutes later I slipped inside the door and shut it behind me, leaning my back against it and taking a deep breath. Despite the great moment that Mike Newton had just ruined for me, I was efficiently buzzed right then. Nothing in the world could have brought me down from my current high.

Or so I thought.

"Oof," I exhaled sharply as the door knob jabbed into my side. "It's occupied," I called out, trying to push back against the door to close it again. It met resistance in the form of a bright red pump sticking into the opening.

I took a step back in surprise as the door opened all the way. Tanya slipped in quickly, shutting the door behind her.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, though I had a sinking suspicion that I knew the answer.

"You," she smirked, taking a few steps toward me.

"Tanya, what the fuck?" I growled, sidestepping around her advance.

"Oh please, you know you want me. James is being an asshole tonight anyway. I missed this part when you and I were dating," she stepped toward me again, grasping at the hem of my shirt with her hands.

"Tanya, first of all, we weren't really dating," I grabbed her wrists and pushed her away. "And second of all, _no_."

"What?" she raised an eyebrow suggestively. "It's not like _she's_ going to put out." She slipped a shoulder strap of her dress off of her shoulder. "A little fun never hurt anyone."

"Excuse me," I growled, pushing past her toward the door.

"Ah, ah, ah," she smirked, quickly pushing her back against the door. "You'll have to go through me, first," she winked.

"Was this your plan? Trying to seduce me in the bathroom? Is that why you invited me?"

"Not entirely, it was a last minute perk I decided on."

"That's not your decision to make."

"Oh? You think that just because you're the one with the dick that you get to act like one?"

"Well that's quite hypocritical, don't you think? I mean, you get to act like a cunt." Usually I wasn't so harsh, but I was extraordinarily angry at that present moment, and no word was beyond my vocabulary.

"Fuck you," she spat.

"Not a chance." I pushed her out of the way forcefully and left the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.

Seething at her audacity, I decided against using the bathroom here and instead started searching for Bella to go home. As far as I was concerned, the night was over.

I decided that Alice would want to hear about Tanya's failed attempt at seducing me, anyway. Problem was, I couldn't find Alice. Nor could I find Bella.

"Rose!" I called, pushing my way through the crowd to where Rosalie was standing. "Have you seen Alice?"

"No, I think her and Jazz went out the back way to the Hummer right after you and Bella went outside."

"Shit," I frowned. "Have you seen Bella?"

"No, why?"

"She was supposed to find Alice, but now I can't find either of them."

"I'll help you look," she said quickly, setting her drink down on the mantle and starting to push through the crowds.

We searched the party's occupants for the next ten minutes but to no avail. I pulled out my phone and dialed Bella's number. It rang four times and went to voicemail.

I felt myself begin to panic. There must have been some good reason why she had disappeared. I'm sure she was fine. Maybe I had moved too fast after all and she had just gotten scared.

"She's not in any of the bathrooms," Rose announced. "I checked out by the Volvo, too. Trust me, Alice and Jasper are alone out there." She rolled her eyes.

I dialed Bella's number again, but this time left a message.

"Bella, where are you, I'm getting worried."

* * *

yeah, sorry about that cliffhanger. the chapter was just getting out of hand, lol.

a couple things I would like to address.

1. Due to health issues, I am not able to work at the moment. I won't get into the health things, it's not important right now. Point being, I will hopefully be able to get chapters out more quickly now that I have alot of free time/ bed rest restrictions

2. I just really wanted to thank you all for the kind feedback. I can't even explain how much I appreciate it. Every review means so much to me. I only get to respond on occasion, but I seriously love you all for your support. :)

3. Kaitlyn and Stephanie need a round of applause for getting this betad for you so quickly. Seriously. Thank them for their speediness. It got you this chapter much faster than I expected.

4. I will post the link to cullenated on my main page so that you all can go post your stories and help the site take off. Alot of you asked for it before, so I'll post it there so you all can go visit. 3

5. There really is no #5. I just love you all so I figured I would add another number to say it again.

3

WAIT NO! 6. GO READ JILLBETSONALICE 'S STORY SILENCE IN THE STACKS! (linked in my profile) OMG IT'S SO FABULOUS! end caps lock rape. :)


	11. Chapter 11

I had never hated anyone more than I hated Mike Newton at that moment. Despite my obvious annoyance, however, I could not wipe the grin off of my face.

The entire night thus far had been surreal. I had expected total and complete disaster to strike tonight, but instead it had actually been relatively enjoyable. I had talked to people that I never usually talk to. I had socialized more in this one night than I ever had in my entire life. And even though it made me slightly uncomfortable, it was nice to have people look at me with an expression other than indifference on their faces.

Edward had been great. He didn't stare, or gawk at me. He was a complete gentleman, which I had realized was the norm for him. He always included me in the conversations and made sure to introduce me to everyone. Had I been attending this party with anyone else, I'm sure it wouldn't have even been near as enjoyable as it had turned out.

When we had been sitting out on the front porch and talking, I felt like my heart was going to pound its way right through my chest. He had impulsively asked me to be his girlfriend, and once I had gotten past the shock, I had impulsively said yes. I had never had a boyfriend before. I had never even been on a real date. The night was full of first for me. One such first inconveniently interrupted by Mike Newton's weak stomach. I had mixed emotions as I walked back toward the house. I was disappointed, yes, but also kind of relieved. I didn't know the first thing about kissing and I had a terrible feeling that I was going to be absolutely awful at it.

I gave him a weak smile as we reentered the house. He started walking in the opposite direction as me toward where I assumed the bathrooms were as I began searching for Alice. I noticed someone staring at me, and jerked my head away so that I didn't seem like I was staring back. I couldn't remember his name, but I had noticed him staring at me earlier, too. Maybe Alice hadn't been so far off about watching out for the jocks. I hadn't even made it two steps when my phone buzzed in the small pocket on the front of the dress. Alice had admonished me earlier for using that pocket, insisting that it was more for fashion purposes and wasn't actually supposed to be used. Fearing that it was my father, I quickly took it out and looked at it. Fortunately it was not Charlie. Unfortunately, it was Jacob.

My smile immediately vanished. Jacob had some sort of absurd vendetta against me hanging out with Edward Cullen. It was bad enough that he would soon find out I was dating Edward, I didn't need to answer the phone when he could hear a party raging in the background. But Jacob was smart. He knew that I had nothing better to do on a Friday night than sit at home. I had to answer.

Quickly, I darted up the stairs in front of me to the upstairs hallway. Remembering what Alice said, I knocked on the first door and listened for a moment before slipping inside of it. It appeared to be a guest bedroom, and it was quiet enough.

"Hello,"

"Hey Bells, what's up?"

"Nothing," I said around a forced yawn.

"Were you sleeping?" he asked apologetically.

"Yeah,"

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's only 11 on a Friday, I figured you would be awake. I wanted to talk about the Mariners game."

"Oh, I.. uh. I didn't watch it."

"What? Why not? You always watch the games."

"I forgot it was on."

He knew me too well. "Bella, is something going on? Where are you?"

"I'm just hanging out," I insisted.

"Where?"

At that precise moment, the door to the guest room opened and the same boy that had been staring at me stumbled in with a disturbing grin on his face. I remembered his name, now. It was James.

"Jake, I have to go, bye." I quickly said, closing the phone.

"Sorry," I apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to… I'll leave so you can.." I tried to move toward the door but he blocked my exit.

"It's about damn time you got away from that Cullen boy," he slurred. His breath was foul with the scent of alcohol.

"Excuse me?" I said timidly.

"I've been waiting for you."

Something about the way he said it coupled with the fact that he locked the door at the same moment made me immediately aware of the present danger I was in.

"I'm sorry, I think you're confused. I have to go." I tried again to move around him but he blocked the door again and grabbed onto my wrist.

"You don't have to pretend. If you don't want Edward to find out, I can keep a secret."

"No, I… you've got the wrong-" I tried to pry his hand off of my wrist.

"I saw you looking at me. It's okay. I know that you want me, too."

"No!" I choked, wildly clawing at his hand.

"You're so hot," he mumbled, proving that his actions were heavily influenced by alcohol.

"I have to go," I said loudly.

"I love it when girls play hard to get." He leaned his head close to me and inhaled deeply.

"Get away from me," I warned, trying to place as much force as possible behind my words.

He breathed deeply again and then lowered his lips to my ear. "No," he whispered. I almost gagged on the overpowering stench of his breath. My stomach twisted in a knot and I tried one last time to wrench my hand out of his grip. It only seemed to fuel him further, though. He groaned and flung me in a circle, pinning me against the door and running the back of his hand against my cheek.

"Where have you been hiding all this sexy?" he whispered.

Repulsed, I began trying every evasive maneuver I could think of. I dug my nails as deeply into his arm as I could, but he didn't seem to notice. Instead, he took a finger and ran it over my lips. Impulsively, I brought my knee up, hard, but he stopped it with his hand just before it made contact with his groin. So much for impaired reflexes.

"Ah, ah, ah," he crooned. "We don't want to damage _that_ now, do we?"

I thought longingly of my can of pepper spray that was tucked safely inside my purse out in Edward's car. I never thought that I would be one of those girls. One of the girls that gets taken advantage of at a party. It was worse, though, considering that I wasn't even drunk.

I suddenly felt an overwhelming urgency to get out of that room. I grunted with effort as I pushed my arms out against him. "Get away from me!" I shouted desperately.

"Enough messing around," he growled, obviously ignoring my attempts and grabbing me firmly around the shoulders and wheeling me around toward the bed. My heart leapt into my chest and I felt tears spring into my eyes as he forcefully pushed my down onto the mattress.

"No!" I began screaming. I kept screaming until he firmly clamped his hand over my mouth. I bit down, hard.

"Fuck!" he yelped, withdrawing his hand quickly. "Is that how it's going to be? Okay then, two can play that game."

I screamed again and he clamped his hand back over my mouth in a strategic way that left me no room to bite it again. I raised my free hand and pushed against his, but to no avail. He was much too strong for me. I felt his hand slide down the bare skin on my thigh and I screamed louder against his hand. I felt the tears streaming down my face now as I flailed my legs frantically. He hoisted himself on top of me, pinning my legs beneath me.

How had the night suddenly gone so terribly wrong? Only 5 minutes ago I had been experiencing the happiest moment of my life, thinking I was a fool for expecting this party to be a disaster. Just a few moments ago I had been contemplating what my first kiss would be like with Edward.

Edward. The poor guy would feel so terrible about this. It wasn't his fault, of course, but he would no doubt try to shoulder the blame.

No, this wasn't Edward's fault. This was my fault. I should have listened to Alice. Beware of the jocks, she said. Don't go anywhere alone, she said. Don't put your phone in that pocket, you should have left it in the car, she said.

What was I thinking?

I felt his hand again, this time fumbling with the hem of my dress while the other hand remained firmly intact over my mouth. My eyes became very wide for a moment before I clenched them shut, fearing what would happen next.

A ripping sound filled the room and a moment later, he removed his hand. I was about to scream again when a thick piece of fabric was jammed inside my mouth. He had ripped a chunk out of my dress just to silence me. How resourceful.

I kicked. I flailed. I screamed uselessly against the fabric. His hands continued to roam up and down my legs, his eyes hungrily roaming over my exposed skin. I squeezed my eyes shut again, not wanting to watch him anymore.

My phone rang from the still intact pocket. That damn pocket. He extracted it and read the screen aloud. "Sorry, Edward. Bella's busy at the moment," he grinned sadistically, tossing the still buzzing phone across the bed. It landed with a thud and sat just out of my grasp. I screamed harder, as if somehow he would be able to hear me through the unanswered phone.

In a final attempt, I flung my hand forward, heel of my palm out. It collided with his jaw with a sickening crack and his head jerked back in surprise before his eyes narrowed and he gathered my hands into one of his, holding them just above my head.

The phone stopped buzzing and then started again a moment later. All I would need is about 3 seconds to yell into the phone and hope that he could hear over the fabric in my mouth. I began trying to wiggle closer to the phone. He was heavy, though, so it wasn't easy. He had my hands above my head, so if I could just get a few inches closer I would be able to grab it and press the talk button.

But how much longer until it stopped ringing and he gave up?

I should have listened to Alice.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

EPOV

I took the stairs two at a time. Rose and I had scoured the main floor. We had checked every room, pissing off several couples in the process. I went to the bathroom door first, knocking, listening, and then opening it. An unidentifiable male was laying, passed out on the ground, but otherwise it was deserted. I checked two other rooms and found nothing. Scowling, I took out my phone and dialed her number again.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Discouraged, I was about to hang up and keep searching when the ringing stopped. I heard several implacable noises before suddenly someone, a deep male voice, shouted "Bitch, what-are-you, how-did-you," then the muffled but unmistakable noise of a scream echoed in my ear before the line went dead. My heart stopped beating. I recognized that voice. I had heard it before. She was here with someone… she was…

"No," I whispered. There were only three rooms left to check on this floor, she had to be in one of them. I flung open the first door to find a storage closet, empty. I reached for the second door when I heard a scuffle from across the hall. I turned to the other remaining door and reached for the handle.

Locked.

"Bella!" I shouted, banging my fist against the door. There, again, the muffled noise of a scream. Anger and rage welled up within me and I brought my fist against the door one last time. I took two steps back and propelled myself forward, kicking the door with all of my strength. Luckily, it burst open on the first try.

Nothing could have prepared me for what I found.

James pushed himself off of the bed, an angry look in his eyes for a moment before he surveyed my expression and backpedaled.

"Look, man, I'm sorry you had to find out this way… It was only a matter of time, though, dude. Don't be too offended. Just let it go. You haven't been with her for that long anyway.."

While he was busy rambling, I surveyed the rest of the scene. Bella, wide eyed, tear stained, and obviously scared shitless was laying on the bed. Thankfully all of her clothes seemed to be still on, but there was a large chunk ripped from the bottom of the blue dress and it appeared to be stuffed in her mouth. Now that her hands were free, she pushed herself off of the bed and yanked it out of her mouth, collecting her phone from the bed beside her and hurrying over to place herself behind me.

James was still rambling on about complete nonsense. It sounded like his drunken stupor had lead him to believe that Bella had consented to him forcing her onto a bed with a gag in her mouth. I had heard enough. With as much force as I could, not caring that he was probably much stronger than me when he was sober, I made contact with both of his shoulders. Apparently it was harder than I thought… or maybe he was more drunk than I realized. Either way, he stumbled backward a few feet until his back hit the wall with a heavy thud.

"What the fuck!?" he snarled hysterically. "Look, man. It's not my fault the girls want me,"

"Shut the fuck up you moronic bastard," I snarled back. "Do you honestly think that she wanted to be attacked by you?"

"You're just pissed that I keep picking up your leftovers, man. Don't take it personal-" I hit him again, hard. My fist made contact with his jaw and he stumbled a few feet back.

"Don't ever touch her, don't even _look_ at her again." My voice was much louder than I had intended and it wavered a little. "Are you that much of a dumb ass that you would try something like this with the police chiefs daughter?"

"Man, she was having fun. Get over it, bro," he rolled his eyes.

My vision went red. Before I knew it I had taken several steps forward, extending my arm out in front of me and shoving it against his neck, pinning him effectively against the wall.

"Don't you ever call me 'bro' again. Don't even address me from this point forward. If Bella wasn't here right now, I would beat you to within an inch of your life. Don't doubt that I could do it. You're drunk off your ass right now. You couldn't throw a decent punch if your life depended on it. Lucky for you, though, your life doesn't depend on it. However your life does depend on you leaving her the fuck alone from this point forward. I'm not joking. You don't look at her, you don't talk to her, you don't accidentally bump into her in the hallway.. Nothing."

"That sounds like a threat, bro," he sneered sarcastically.

"It's a promise," I pushed my arm harder against his throat and his eyes bulged a little.

"That's illegal. I could get your ass in such huge shit with the law-"

"What are you going to do, call the police chief?" I challenged.

His eyes flicked down to the ground, a frown crossing his face.

"I can't fucking breathe," he mumbled, trying to push against my arm. I let it drop for a moment before shoving him back against the wall with enough force that it left a dent where his shoulder blade hit.

"You stay the hell away from her,"

I turned to find Bella, still wide eyed and scared, a single tear running down her face staining her cheek with mascara. She was pressed against the opposite wall next to the door. Outside the door were suddenly several onlookers, whispering amongst themselves.

"What's going on?" Tanya's shrill voice rounded the corner as she entered the room. Her eyes bulged as she took in the damage to the door frame and the wall.

"What the hell," she shrieked, "Edward, what the fuck are you doing?"

"Go to hell," I snarled.

"You're going to pay for this!"

"Send him the bill," I jerked my head over my shoulder toward James. "He deserves to take responsibility for some of his actions."

Her mouth hung open. I pushed past her and circled my arm around Bella's shoulder. "Come on, Bella." I did my best to soften my voice. "Let's go home."

"Can't you take a little competition, Cullen?" James' voice sounded behind me. I ignored him and tightened my arm around Bella. She turned into me and pressed her head into my shoulder. I led her down the stairs and into the entrance hall where a large portion of the party had gathered. It was like the last time I was here, only ten times worse. It wasn't me that was hurt this time. It was Bella. And it was all my fault.

Rosalie and Emmett stood at the foot of the stairs, their mouths hung open as realization hit them. Emmett squared his shoulders and began ascending the stairs, likely to confront Bella's attacker. Rose caught him by the arm and shook her head slowly. He exhaled and his shoulders relaxed a little. He reached out his hand and clapped me on the back sympathetically once as we passed.

Someone I didn't recognize stepped in front of us and opened the door as we passed. We stepped around a passed out Mike Newton laying on the front steps and headed toward the vehicle.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," I whispered. "I'm so sorry."

She didn't say anything. I opened the door to the passenger seat of the Volvo and she climbed in. The door to the Hummer beside my Volvo burst open just as I rounded to the driver's seat.

"What happened?" Alice demanded, finishing buttoning the top button on her blouse.

I looked at her blankly for a moment, trying my hardest not to blame her for forcing this whole ordeal upon Bella.

"What happened, Edward?" she demanded again.

"Tanya tried to seduce me in the bathroom while James attacked Bella. He had her locked in a bedroom. He ripped her… your dress. I broke the door. Tanya's pissed. I have to leave before I turn around and kill him. Or her."

Her face contorted several times until it finally settled on rage. I hadn't seen Alice that pissed off since I had flushed her Barbie Doll's head down the toilet when I was eight.

"I'll be right behind you. Don't let Bella leave until I get home." And with that, she turned on her heel and marched - or as close to marching as she could get in those high heels - toward the house. Normally, a brother would have been concerned about that. I knew Alice, though. I knew the only person who had to be afraid was James. And maybe Tanya.

I shook my head and climbed into the Volvo, glancing quickly over at Bella. She had already buckled her seatbelt and was sitting silently, her knees drawn up against her chest and her cheek resting against them. Her hands linked beneath her knees, holding the torn pieces of the dress against her. A black streak ran down the side of her face, marking the path of her tears.

"Bella," I said softly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said quickly.

I felt my heart grow heavier with guilt as I forced myself to look away and start the car. As I was driving, I looked back over toward her several times. She looked like she was deep in thought, and I couldn't help but be curious.

"Bella, what are you thinking?"

She didn't respond. I turned my head back to the road, not wanting to push her. After another moment of silence, I heard her whisper, "I can't do this."

I spent the next 5 minutes of our drive in a state of inner turmoil. I knew what she probably meant, but I didn't want to accept that. I didn't want to be obnoxious and force it out of her, though. Once my car was stopped in the driveway of my own home, she remained silent and still for another minute until she said in the smallest and most broken voice I had ever heard: "I'm sorry,"

"Bella, what on earth do you have to apologize for?"

"I made a fool of myself. I thought that I was actually going to make it through the night without messing up. I thought I was going to get through it without embarrassing you,"

"Bella, no," I shook my head. "Stop thinking like that." I immediately cursed the anatomy of my vehicle for having a center console that was not conducive to any physical contact between the two front seats. I wanted so badly to just scoot beside her and wrap my arms around her and comfort her. It wasn't her fault that this had happened, and I hated her thinking like that. "It's not your fault. James is a…. look, if it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I should never have…"

"Expected me to fit in," she finished.

My heart broke.

"No, Bella. You fit just fine."

"No I don't."

"Yes, you…" I trailed off. "Come here," I opened the door and climbed into the backseat, patting the seat beside me.

She turned in her seat and frowned in confusion. "What?"

"Come here," I repeated.

Still confused, she climbed out of the front seat and into the back beside me. Without a seconds hesitation I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and drew her into my chest.

"You fit," I repeated. "You fit perfectly."

She inhaled a deep breath and held it for a moment. I was beginning to become concerned when I finally felt her release it in short spasms.

Bella was crying. And I felt like an ass for it.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," I whispered again. "It was my mistake. I never should have left you alone. I should have known better."

"No," she started, but I didn't let her finish.

"Of course, it's partly Alice's fault for making you look so amazing tonight."

She let out a couple subtle giggles through the fresh stream of tears cascading down her face. I lifted my hand and brushed my thumb across her cheek once, wiping away the tears. She looked up into my eyes and blushed, pushing herself into an upright position.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be… I'm a mess."

"You're entitled to be a mess. You've had a shitty night."

"It wasn't all shitty," she corrected.

"But still, the bad part is all my fault."

"It is not. And if those are the terms we're using, the good parts were your fault too, so I guess you've just broke even."

I couldn't help but smile.

She smiled back weakly and then rested her head against the back of the seat.

"You're thinking again," I noted.

Her eyes grew distant and sad before she turned back to me. "This isn't going to work, is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"This. Us," she elaborated. "I mean, as much as I would like it to… people just aren't going to accept it. I'm the weird socially awkward girl who nobody talks to. The more time we spend together, the more attention is going to be drawn, and the more things like this are going to happen."

"Oh," I said quietly.

"Be honest, Edward. I'm more trouble than I'm worth anyway," she mumbled.

"No!" I said quickly. "That's absolutely not true."

I could tell that she was torn. I could tell that the prospect of all that attention was something that did not make her comfortable. I had known that about her from the beginning, but I had never known how serious she was about her anonymity. And after tonight, I understood why. Being almost-raped at a party didn't happen to people who sat at home and read classic Literature on a Friday night.

But I didn't want to lose her.

"What if we weren't public?" I suggested desperately.

She turned her head toward me and her brow creased. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… we can still be together, just not at school. I won't eat lunch with you anymore. You don't have to accompany me to anymore parties," I emphasized that point with a facial expression that made her laugh slightly. "But we can hang out after school and on weekends," I finished.

"You mean… like… a secret relationship?"

"Basically. That way everyone wins. You get your anonymity and people will stop looking at you if we're not seen together all the time…"

"And you get what?" she said quietly.

"I get you."

She met my eyes again and I watched as hers brimmed with more tears.

"Why?" she whispered.

"What?"

"It just doesn't seem like a fair trade." Her voice was small, almost timid.

I shook my head to display my lack of understanding.

"I get you, and you get me. It just seems like you're getting the short end of the stick."

I laughed loud enough so that she jumped in surprise.

"Bella, that's absolutely absurd. You really don't have very good perception on how other people see you."

"I do so," she argued. "I'm the weird girl who sits alone at lunch. Well… now I guess I'm the weird girl who sits alone at lunch who made an ass of herself at the first and only party she ever went to in an attempt to fit in with the majority and not be such a-"

I cut her off by placing my index finger over her lips. "Bella, shut up," I chuckled. "You're not the weird girl who sits alone at lunch to me. You're the girl who I'm an idiot for not noticing sooner with a brilliant taste in music and the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. You're the girl who I've been waiting for, and if you think that I'm not lucky in any way to have you, you're poorly mistaken. I'm the luckiest man in the world, as far as I'm concerned."

A small smile spread across her lips and she looked like she was trying not to cry again.

"I'm the luckiest girl, too."

"Even with all the shit that happened today?" I asked.

"Yes. Even considering that. By the way, you have pretty decent timing. You could have been a little faster, though."

"I would have been if it weren't for Tanya distracting me…"

She snapped her head around to look at me, confused.

"She tried to… seduce me.." I blushed, feeling weird saying that word to Bella for some reason. "In the bathroom. She wasn't very happy when I denied her."

"Oh…" she made a face. She seemed to think on that for a moment more before changing the subject. "What time is it?"

"One-Thirty," I informed her.

"That explains why I'm so tired."

"Are you sure you can drive home?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Charlie will probably be very suspicious based on my appearance, but I'll be fine. I should actually probably get going…"

"Wait, Alice told me not to let you leave until she got back," I remembered suddenly.

"Oh, okay. I can wait a few more minutes," she said around a yawn.

A few minutes turned into about fifteen minutes and by the time Alice poked her spiky head into the backseat of the car, Bella had been fast asleep with her head rested in my lap for about ten minutes already.

"How is she?" Alice asked, scooting into the car and shutting the door lightly.

"Better," I said quietly.

"Edward, I'm so sorry. I should have been in there. I should have stayed close so that I could keep my eye on her,"

"I'm not a small child," Bella mumbled from my lap, pulling herself with great effort into a sitting position. "I shouldn't need someone to look after me. Both of you need to stop blaming yourselves for this. It was my stupid mistake to try to take a phone call in an empty room without telling someone where I was going in the first place."

"Oh, Bella," Alice wrapped her tiny arms around Bella's frame and squeezed her.

Bella's eyes bulged slightly and I chuckled, "She's quite strong for someone who is so small, huh?"

Bella nodded and Alice backed off. "You shouldn't drive home tonight, you're so tired, Bella."

"I have to go home, Alice," Bella sighed. "Charlie is probably still waiting up for me."

"Give me your phone," Alice instructed, holding out her hand expectantly.

"Bella shot me a wary glance before surrendering her phone to Alice's waiting hand. She pressed a couple of buttons and then held the phone to her ear as it began ringing.

"Hello, Charlie? This is Alice, Bella's friend. Yes, that's right. Alice Cullen. Oh, nothing's wrong. Bella and I just lost track of time and fell asleep watching a movie. Bella's really tired and I don't think it would be a good idea to wake her up and make her drive home this late, is it okay if she stays the night?"

Bella's eyes got big again and she looked at me quickly.

"Great, she'll be back sometime tomorrow afternoon, okay? Goodnight Mr. Swan." She hung up the phone and handed it back to Bella, smiling. "There, now you don't have to drive home tonight."

"Alice, that's really not… I mean, I'll be fine."

"Don't argue with me. You're much too tired to drive home. We have a spare bedroom, and a couch in my room and Edward's room. And both of our beds are king size, so it's not like we don't have any room for you."

She bit her lip, obviously intimidated by the idea of sharing a room with one of us.

"You can just sleep in the guest room if it makes you uncomfortable," I jumped in.

"No, no… it's not that. I don't really care where I sleep… I just feel intrusive."

"Don't. Come on, Mom and Dad will be thrilled to have you overnight. Mom seems quite fond of you. Though, I think Dad's probably asleep, he worked all day today. Oh, you can meet him in the morning. I'm sure he'll like you, too."

"Alice," I interrupted.

"What?"

"Shut up, motor mouth."

Bella giggled and yawned.

Alice turned toward Bella and wiped the mascara stains off her cheeks gently. "Come on, let's get you inside," Alice concluded, stepping out of the vehicle and gesturing for us to follow her.

Esme was asleep in the recliner when we walked in. She woke up and did her best to play it off like she hadn't fallen asleep waiting for us to get in again.

"Hey guys, how was the night?"

Bella said nothing, but averted her eyes quickly to the ground.

"Typical. Dramatic, and full of way too much Tanya," Alice said.

Esme nodded, "Yeah, that is typical. But did you have fun? Bella? Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, it was… an interesting night," Bella nodded quickly.

"Hey, mom, is it okay if Bella spends the night here tonight? She's kinda tired and I don't want her to have to drive home," I reasoned.

"Yeah, that's fine. I'm going to head off to bed right now, though. If I'm making breakfast in the morning, I'm going to need some sleep."

Esme yawned and then kissed both Alice and I on the cheek and gave Bella a hug before shuffling off toward her bedroom.

Alice waited until she was out of sight before she turned back to Bella and said "So, couch? Bed? Your choice."

"Oh… the couch down here is fine, I guess." Bella nodded.

"Okay, I'll go grab some blankets and a pillow," Alice smiled.

Bella and I stood in silence for a moment before I spoke, "Um, my bedroom is the second door on the left upstairs… if you need anything," I shrugged, immediately feeling like an idiot and hoping that she didn't read too far into my suggestion.

She seemed to accept my simple statement of fact as just that, fortunately. Alice returned with the blankets before I could make an ass out of myself any further.

"Are you alright down here?" Alice asked hospitably.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks," Bella nodded her head as Alice hugged her and headed off toward the stairs.

I suddenly experienced a moment of panic in which I was uncertain how to bid Bella a good night. Should I simply verbalize it? Should I give her a kiss on the forehead? The cheek? Would a hug be too awkward? Bella seemed to be struggling with the same thing.

"Well, um… thanks for letting me stay.."

"Yeah, no problem," I said, running my fingers through my hair and rocking back on my heels a little. "I'll, uh… I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah," she nodded. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

I felt like a pansy. I should have kissed her. Or should I have? She had been through a rough night, and the last thing I wanted to do was rush anything with her. Maybe I was right to not kiss her. But then… maybe she had wanted me to kiss her, too…

I had never been in a relationship this complicated. Before, it had always been ridiculously obvious what the girls were after, and kissing was clearly only the root of it. With Bella, it was different. She wasn't like that. She wasn't a typical horny high school teenager. I never used to be a typical horny high school teenager, either… What was she doing to me?

I took the stairs quickly and slipped into my room without a sound.

"Did you kiss her?"

I must have jumped a foot in the air.

"Alice," I hissed, glaring at her. She uncrossed her legs and stood up from my bed.

"Yes or no?"

"No, I didn't… what are you doing in here?"

"Why didn't you kiss her?"

"Listen, Miss Nosy-ass, she's had a rough day. I didn't want to force anything on her."

"Oh please, she wants to kiss you too. Especially after you saved her just in the knick of time from douche-nozzle back there," she waved her hand behind her suggestively. One thing I did always enjoy about Alice was her colorful and creative choice in language. "You're like… her hero right now."

"I'm not her hero. It was my fault she was in that position anyway."

"Shut up you damn masochist. You should have kissed her. You're going to die a virgin you know."

"Out," I said firmly, holding the door open for her.

"Goodnight," she smiled, slipping out the door and disappearing down the dark hallway.

I shut the door with a quiet click and turned back to face the room.

"I am not going to die a virgin," I muttered to the empty room.

I crossed to the hamper and discarded my clothes into it, pulling out a clean pair of sweatpants and shuffling into the bathroom. I showered quickly and then brushed my teeth and headed towards bed.

The gold colored sheets had never been more uncomfortable. I tossed and turned for close to an hour. Every time I shut my eyes I heard Bella's desperate scream and saw her tear stained face. I should have known better. I should have never left her alone. What if I hadn't found her? What if I had been two minutes later in arriving?

But despite the constant swirl of regret in my mind, one positive thing stood out. Bella was my girlfriend. Bella was my secret girlfriend, but still… it felt amazing.

"Ugh," I groaned, throwing the blankets off of myself and glancing at the clock. I had been laying in bed for an hour and had barely even considered sleep. I sat up and scooted to the end of my bed, studying the dark shadows that played across my bedroom floor. Finally, I decided on a glass of water.

Silently, I slipped into the hallway and down the stairs. I skipped the second stair that creaked so that I didn't wake Bella up, but as I entered the living room I realized that it wouldn't have mattered. Bella was already awake. She was sitting up on the couch, her knees pulled to her chest and the blanket Alice had supplied her with drawn tightly around her shoulders. Her brown eyes widened as I entered the room and I realized a moment too late that I wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Bella… I…" I faltered, running my hand through my hair uncomfortably. "What are you doing awake? I thought you would be sleeping by now."

"I'm having trouble falling asleep," she said quietly. "Bad dreams."

"Oh…" I felt bad immediately. Maybe I should have driven her home myself. Maybe she really wasn't comfortable here.

"Well, do you want a glass of water?"

She bit her lip for a moment and then nodded. She followed me into the kitchen and I filled two glasses of water.

"Thanks," she said softly.

We drank our water in silence for a moment. I noticed her eyes glancing toward my bare chest and then quickly in a different direction. I felt kind of bad for forgetting a shirt, but also a tiny bit smug at her reaction to it. .

"Are you sure you're okay down here?" I asked conversationally after another moment of silence.

"Yeah," she said after slight hesitation.

I gave her a disbelieving look and she shrugged her shoulders subtly.

"All the big open windows are kinda creeping me out."

"Yeah, I'm not so fond of those sometimes myself," I admitted. "All the rooms here are like that. It's lucky we live in the middle of nowhere or else we would never have any privacy."

"Yeah," she took another sip of her water and looked toward the ceiling in thought before smiling a little. "I haven't spent the night at someone else's house in years. I thought I would have grown out of this by now…"

"Grown out of what?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said quickly. "It's embarrassing."

"Bella, I just walked downstairs without a shirt on because I thought you would be asleep. Clearly embarrassment is not that big of a deal right now."

She chuckled again and took another drink of her water. "I never used to be able to spend the night at other people's houses when I was younger if I had to be alone in an unfamiliar room. It's… stupid, I know."

"That's not unreasonable at all, Bella," I countered. "If I had to try and sleep in a strange room all by myself I would be a little creeped out, too." That was a lie. I had slept in strange rooms alone many times, but I was just trying to make her feel better.

She looked up at me, her eyes questioning, as if she knew I was lying.

"If you want, you can sleep up in my room," I said hesitantly. "If you don't want to, that's totally fine. But… just… if you don't want to be alone.." I stammered, feeling my face get warm with embarrassment. I didn't want her to think I was trying anything on her. That was the last thing I wanted to do right now. Especially after the disaster that today had been.

"I…" she bit her lip. "I don't want to make your parents angry or anything."

"Oh, they'll be fine. They trust me. Besides, it's not like anything is going to happen…" I trailed off.

"Yeah," she said quietly.

"I mean.. it's not that… you're a very… I didn't mean to.." I stuttered. "Just not yet."

"Yeah," she said again, this time a little more amusement in her voice.

"Again, feel free to tell me to shut up any time. I feel like an idiot right now."

"It's cute," she chuckled, then quickly.. "Funny."

"You think I'm cute?" I teased.

She rolled her eyes, "I was referring to your idiocy, of course."

"Of course," I smirked.

She giggled silently and finished the rest of her water. She yawned and then a shiver ran through her body as the quilt slipped off of her shoulder. I realized then that she was still wearing the dress from the party.

"Oh, Alice didn't give you pajamas?" I frowned.

She shook her head.

"That's probably for the best. Her pajamas probably have less fabric to them than that dress. I can loan you a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. They'll probably be too big… but at least it'll be warm."

"Oh, that's… thank you," she said softly.

"Come on, let's get you upstairs," I suggested as she stifled another yawn.

She followed me up the stairs and into my bedroom without question. I turned the light on and she grimaced.

"Sorry," I apologized as I quickly pulled a pair of plaid sweatpants and a white t-shirt out of my drawer. I handed them to her and she smiled.

"Bathroom is there," I pointed, silently rejoicing that I had remembered to clean up in there today. She smiled again and quickly went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. I sat down on the couch and waited, trying not to think about the fact that Bella was nearly naked in my bathroom right now.

She opened the door and shut the light off behind her. She looked almost laughable in my clothes. They were much too big for her, but on closer look… she looked cute in them. Her small frame swimming in my thick pajama pants that hung too low on her waist and revealed the planes of her hips.

Noticing what I was looking at, she smoothed out the t-shirt so that her middle wasn't showing and then held up the torn dress questioningly. I nodded toward the hamper beside her. She discarded the garments and came to sit next to me with a sigh.

"I've had the same song stuck in my head for the last three hours," she wrinkled her nose, turning her head toward me. "But the annoying thing is, I can't remember the verses. Just the chorus."

"What song?" I asked.

"The Luckiest, by Ben Folds," she said.

I smiled.

"What?" she questioned.

"I love that song," I admitted.

"You love every song," she pointed out.

"Not true. I hate the hamster dance song…"

She laughed again and leaned her head back on the couch.

I thought for a moment before I remembered the lyrics of the song, and then I began singing it softly.

_I don't get many things right the first time__In fact, I am told that a lot  
Now I know all the wrong turns,  
The stumbles and falls brought me here_

_And where was I before the day?__  
That I first saw your lovely face__  
Now I see it, every day__  
And I know that I am  
I am, I am the luckiest_

By the time I had made it through all three verses and looked back over at her, she had fallen asleep.

"Bella?" I said softly. No response. Her chest rose and fell evenly and her face had taken on the peaceful reflection of sleep.

I watched her for about twenty minutes, admiring her subtle beauty and her serene expression. When I was sure that she was in a deep enough sleep, I slipped my arms beneath her and carried her over to my bed. I arranged the blankets on top of her and made sure that she looked comfortable. She sighed and turned her head toward me, still deeply sleeping. In a moment of impulse, I bent forward and pressed my lips lightly against her forehead, letting them linger there for as long as possible before I pulled myself away and settled in on the couch for the night.

Despite the couch being much less comfortable than my bed, I fell asleep immediately with a smile firmly in place on my lips.

* * *

**I just realized that I definitely need to update the music files with the recent chapter's music. Oi. This last song is one of the most important songs in the fic, despite the fact that the fic wasn't named after this song. **

**I hope you're all enjoying the believable pace at which this relationship is progressing because I pretty much just want to have them makeout or jump each other constantly. I've had to erase some pretty damn good smut because it just wasn't the right moment. lmao.**

**and hooray for the New Moon trailer and the hottttt pics from Montepulciano of the reunion scene. It made my ovaries extremely excited. JS. **

**thoughts, favorite lines, suggestions, etc? Reviews are my motivation to write the next chapter. I stalled out in the middle of 12 already because I lacked the encouragement from all you amazing readers. :(**

**3**


	12. Chapter 12

Authors Notes:

1. I dedicate this chapter to a girl named Molly who I have had the pleasure of getting to know these past few weeks. She is truly an inspiration and she has given me more motivation than she would ever realize. Also, a special thanks to Carol, who shared Molly's story with me and patiently answered my questions and set up ways for me to contact Molly. You both are great. :)

2. To all those struggling to gain freedom in Iran, my thoughts are with you. To all of you who have the luxury of accessing this page (or twitter, facebook, myspace, etc), take a moment and realize how fortunate you are. If you were where they are right now, you would not have the ability to do so.

3. Special thanks to my two amazing beta readers. Kaitlyn and Stephanie have been so awesome. They both got this chapter edited for me in a matter of 2 hours today so that I could post it. I wouldn't have been able to do it for several days otherwise because tomorrow I am getting all four of my wisdom teeth out, minus the convenience of any meds to knock me out. Yep. Totally coherent. I'm not looking forward to it.

4. This chapter took a while to come to me. I've had a terrible week. If you're from the US, you probably know about the shenanigans with General Motors. My dad is a GM retiree, so we've been dealing with all of that fun stuff lately. I've been looking for a job. Still batteling health issues. And there have been family issues that left me unable to form any non-angsty thoughts for several weeks. I apologize for the delay.

5. Alot of you have mentioned how you don't like the idea of Bella and Edward hiding their relationship. Without giving anything away, let me just say that this IS going some place. There is a reason for this that is directly related to the plot. Trust people. Trust. ;)

Lastly, and then I promise I'll shut up, I would like to thank you all for your reviews. I know I don't always have time to reply to everyone, but I really do appreciate it. I will make a conscious (though maybe slightly incoherent due to my prescription drugs) effort to respond to everyone while I'm moping around the house with icepacks held to my face through the creative method of a bra. Yes. Someone suggested it. If I'm in enough pain, I'll go with it. ;)

I LOVE YOU ALLLLLLL

* * *

BPOV

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a bright pink towel around myself. It felt good to take a shower. Almost as if I could wash the previous nights events away and start new.

I had awoken this morning to find myself in a very large bed with the most comfortable and soft sheets I had ever had the privilege of sleeping on. The bed smelled very strongly of Edward and I allowed myself to appreciate the distinct aroma for a moment before sitting up. Edward was just across the room, laying on the couch, still asleep.

He slept on the couch? I had felt a small pang of guilt which was quickly overshadowed by another feeling as the glass of water I had downed just before bed came back to haunt me. Not wanting to wake Edward up, I snuck out of the room, intent on finding another restroom.

Conveniently, I had found Alice just in the hallway and she had dragged me back to her room and set me up with a shower and my freshly laundered clothes from yesterday.

It was only 9 in the morning, and I was definitely still tired. No matter how late I went to bed, though, I had trouble sleeping past 8. I was never really one for sleeping in. Once the sun was up, I was up. Alice had gotten much more sleep than Edward and I had last night, so she was obnoxiously chipper this morning. She was probably obnoxiously chipper regardless of her amount of sleep though, I thought idly as I toweled my hair and slipped back into the comfort of my own clothing.

Alice was waiting for me out in the bedroom when I finally emerged from the bathroom.

"Feel better?" she smiled.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"So… how exactly did you come to be in Edward's room last night," she asked with a smirk.

"No, nothing happened," I started.

"Of course not," she smiled.

"I couldn't sleep and he came down for a drink of water and then he offered me clothes to use as pajamas and I fell asleep on the couch because he started singing," I explained, blushing a little at the last detail. It was probably not something I needed to mention.

"Edward's an awesome singer," Alice nodded. "You should hear him play the piano. Sorry, by the way, for forgetting pajamas last night. I feel like a tard," she apologized.

"A tard?" I chuckled.

"Yes, a tard."

We fell silent for a moment and I joined her on the edge of the bed, running the towel through my hair a couple more times before she started up again.

"Are you okay, Bella?"

I looked over at her questioningly.

"I mean… last night, and everything… are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm… I'm alright," I nodded.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Edward helped a lot last night… I mean… talking to me. It's okay. It could have been much worse." "Yeah," she said quietly. "You hungry? I think Ma' is making breakfast."

"Sure," I nodded. "Should we… um, wake up Edward?"

"No. He'll come around when he smells bacon," she smiled.

I laughed and followed Alice out of the room and down the stairs. I could already smell the distinct smell of sausage as we crossed through the living room and into the kitchen where Esme was busy at the stove.

"Morning Mom," Alice sang, kissing her mother on the cheek.

"Good morning Alice. Good morning Bella."

"Good morning," I smiled. She winked and then turned back toward the stove where about 12 sausage links were smoking. She rotated them and then produced another pan. She began trying to open a bag of bacon while juggling the sausage.

"Here, I can help you with that," I offered quickly, stepping forward and starting on the bacon.

"I'll make the orange juice," Alice smiled.

"Thank you girls," Esme smiled. "Is Edward still passed out?"

"Of course," Alice smiled.

I stifled a laugh and began arranging the bacon in the pan.

"So, how did you sleep last night. Bella?" Esme began conversationally.

"Oh, okay… for the most part."

"That's good. Edward didn't keep you up with his snoring?"

"No… I don't even remember falling asleep, actually. I was talking to him on the couch and then… I woke up."

"You weren't still on the couch, right?" Esme frowned.

"No… actually," I realized then that I had somehow made the transition from the couch to the bed without my knowledge of it. "I guess I never realized.."

"Edward must have moved her," Alice chimed.

"He knows hospitality. I taught him well," Esme beamed.

"Something smells good," an unfamiliar voice interjected. I whirled around to see a tall, lean, blonde haired man enter the kitchen. He looked surprisingly young, but there was also the distinct look of wisdom to his face. His blue eyes were depthless and looked as if they could hold more knowledge than an entire library of books. There were very discreet laugh lines around his eyes that suggested that he spent a lot of time smiling.

"Morning, Dad," Alice sang as she stirred the orange juice.

"Morning," he smiled, crossing over to the stove where Esme and I were still preparing the sausage and bacon. He encircled his arms around Esme's waist and placed his mouth next to her ear. "Good morning, beautiful," I heard him whisper. Esme smiled and turned her head to the side to supply him with a tender kiss. I looked away, my heart melting at his affection for his wife. I could certainly see where Edward got his manners from.

"And you must be Bella," he turned toward me, extending his hand.

I was in the process of flipping the bacon, so I slipped my unoccupied arm under my other one and shook his hand awkwardly. "It's nice to meet you Dr. Cullen."

"Please, call me Carlisle," he smiled. "I see they've already put you to work."

"No, I volunteered," I corrected him quickly. "It's no trouble, really. I do all the cooking at my house anyhow."

"Chief Swan's not a cook, huh?" he chuckled.

"Not by any stretch of the imagination," I made a face. Esme and Carlisle laughed.

Carlisle clapped me on the shoulder gently. "Is there anything I can do to help you ladies?"

"Set the table?" Esme suggested.

"Sure thing, mama," he winked. I smiled at his quip. I thought it was cute that he called her 'mama' and greeted her with "Good Morning, beautiful" in the mornings.

He set the table quickly and then seated himself back in the kitchen at the bar as Esme and I finished up with the meat.

"How many eggs would you like, Bella?" Esme asked, getting out a different pan and a carton of eggs.

"Just one, thank you," I said quietly as I finished transferring the bacon onto the plate with the sausage.

"I'll take that for you," Carlisle offered, reaching for the plate. I handed it to him and he transferred it to the table quickly.

"Over-easy alright?"

I nodded.

I didn't want to seem useless, so I made myself busy helping Alice, who had just started on the toast. I buttered it as it came out of the toaster oven. I glanced up in between slices to see Carlisle staring at me, a peculiar expression on his face. He noticed me staring back and his face spread into a knowing smile before he turned his attention back to Esme. I went back to buttering toast, but I noticed him staring in that same way at me several more times. It was like he was studying me appreciatively. Not in a weird way… but as if he was genuinely happy that I was standing in his kitchen buttering toast with his daughter.

"Edward still sleeping?" he suddenly asked, looking around as if he had just noticed that Edward wasn't present.

"Yep," Esme sighed. "Someone want to go wake his lazy butt up? Bella?" she turned and glanced at me. "Oh, you're helping Al. Carli-"

"No, that's okay!" Alice squeaked quickly. "I'm almost done with the toast. Bella can go." She nudged me with her hip and I stumbled away from the counter. Carlisle and Esme both smiled and looked down as I shot Alice a _what-the-hell_ glance. She winked and went back to her toast, looking up after a moment to jerk her head toward the door, cueing my exit.

Scowling at Alice's not-so-subtle ploy, I left the kitchen and shuffled through the dining room and living room toward the stairs. I took them slowly, not entirely sure how to go about waking him up. Hopefully he was a light sleeper and would wake up just by me knocking on the door…

Fortunately for me, I didn't even make it that far. As I reached the top of the stairs, his bedroom door opened and he emerged. I caught a glimpse of his subtly sculpted abs as he pulled the white t-shirt on. He had changed into jeans, already, too.

"Oh!" he stopped when he saw me. "Bella, I… uh, Good Morning."

"Morning," I nodded, subconsciously biting my lip.

"How long have you been awake?" he winced.

"Couple hours," I shrugged.

"Sorry," he grimaced.

"It's okay, I'm always an early riser. They said you would wake up when you smelled the bacon," I smiled.

"Yeah. I smell bacon _and_ sausage this morning," he wiggled his eyebrows and I giggled. I was about to turn and head back downstairs but he reached out and caught my arm before I could. "Hey, hang on," I turned back to face him. "I just wanted to apologize again for last night. I know you hate when I apologize… but this is an instance in which I could never apologize enough."

"No, Edward, it's okay. Really. Thank you for helping me and letting me stay over. You've been…" I looked for the right word, but eventually settled on "great."

"Great," he scoffed, rolling his eyes a little.

"No, honestly, though.." I rebuked. "Thank you for sticking up for me yesterday. And… yes, great. You're being extremely understanding. Just… even you offering to keep our," I felt my heart spring into my throat as I said the word - "relationship a secret… It means a lot to me. So, thanks,"

He smiled at me for a second, his eyes seemingly searching my face for some kind of answer. Suddenly, he took a step toward me and placed his hand on my lower back, drawing me toward him. Very softly, his lips found my forehead and lingered only for a moment before he wrapped his arms tightly around my back and captured me in a tight and comforting hug.

"Bella?" I heard Alice's voice call from downstairs. "Breakfast is getting cold, tell Edward to hurry up!"

Edward sighed and wound his fingers in mine, leading me down the stairs.

It was an amazing feeling to walk into a room of people, even if it was just Edward's family, holding his hand. It said something. It was a statement of something more than I had ever expected would be fact as far as Edward and I were concerned.

In his home, instead of a public display of affection being met with gawks and disapproving stares, we were met with smiles and pleased glances.

It was exhilarating, and I loved it.

Edward pulled out a chair for me, as per usual. I gave him a discreet smile and sat down. Esme and Carlisle beamed at their son. Alice was texting under the table.

We started eating in relative silence for a while before Carlisle broke the silence.

"I don't suppose you remember meeting me before, do you Bella?"

It took me off guard. I blinked several times and shook my head.

"You were about 6, I believe. You were staying with your dad for spring break and you broke your arm climbing that apple tree outside of your house."

"I remember that," I said quietly. "My mom was so mad at Char- at my dad."

"I was the doctor in the ER that night. It was pretty slow so I put the cast on myself. I had forgotten about it myself until just now," he chuckled.

"I was so young… all I remember is the pain. And that I hated that cast."

He laughed.

"So, what are your plans for this unusually sunny Saturday, kids?" Esme asked.

Alice looked up and smiled, "Jasper and I are going to go to LaPush to hang out on the beach. I'm not missing this opportunity to get a decent tan."

Esme smiled and turned her attention toward Edward and I.

"Oh, well… I have to go home and start on dinner pretty soon…" I supplied. I noticed Edward's shoulders slump a little as I said it.

"What on earth are you making for supper that requires that much time for preparation?" Esme continued.

"A pot roast," I shrugged. "It tastes better when it's cooked in the slow cooker."

"I see," Esme smiled.

"I agree. I like a roast much better when it's put in the crockpot all day," Carlisle added.

We exchanged several other inconsequential comments before the end of breakfast. I helped clear the table when we were finished, and I offered to help Esme do the dishes. Edward had excused himself after breakfast because he had to get something from his room, and had yet to return by the time Esme and I had finished dishes.

"Bella, are you sure you don't want to come to the beach with Jasper and I?" Alice offered for the third time.

"That's okay. I've got a lot to do at home…" I explained again, though I really didn't. If I was being honest with myself, going to the beach with Alice really did sound like fun. I could bring a book along and enjoy the weather. There were mainly two things that were preventing me from accepting, however. First, it was a Saturday, and it was sunny. Chances are, half of Forks High would show up at the beach today, and most of them were likely present at the party last night. Secondly, Alice was going with the intention of tanning. Tanning required a bathing suit. I hated wearing a bathing suit. It wasn't because I was insecure, I had just never found the point in showcasing my body like that. I felt weird to go out in public wearing less clothes than I wore to bed at night. Also… well, La Push meant Jacob would likely be present. Or at least he would if word got around that I was there. Especially since I abruptly disconnected our phone call the previous night. I was definitely going to have some explaining to do to him.

"Alright, but if you get bored -- you know where we'll be," she smiled. "I'm going to get ready. Are you leaving, then?"

"Yeah, I should probably get going," I nodded.

"Okay, I'll go tell Ed. I don't know where the hell he disappeared to," she frowned.

Esme wiped the soap water off of her hands and walked toward me. "Well, then, Bella. It was nice to meet you."

"It was nice to meet you too," I replied quickly. "Thanks for letting me stay over."

"Oh, it was a pleasure having you here, sweetheart. Don't be a stranger. You're welcome over here any time." She gave me a hug and departed, leaving Alice and I in her wake.

Alice was about to exit as well, likely to find Edward, when Edward walked in the door.

"Oh, where the hell have you been?" she frowned.

"I was…" he hesitated and then turned away from her, extending his hand toward me. In it was a purple CD case. "Ludovico Einaudi," he explained.

"Oh!" I smiled, accepting the CD from him. "Thank you."

"Right…" Alice gave us an odd look. "Well I'll see you in school, Bella," she leaned forward and gave me a brief hug before bouncing out of the room, leaving Edward and I alone in the middle of the kitchen.

"I'll walk you out," he offered.

I bobbed my head and followed him through the kitchen and out to the driveway. My heart began pounding as we neared the large red pile of metal that was my means of transportation. I didn't know what was technically supposed to happen now. He was walking me out. Was this the part where he was supposed to kiss me goodbye? What if he did? What if I was bad at it? Or worse, what if he didn't…

"Drive safe," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels.

"Yeah," I said awkwardly, fumbling behind me for the door handle. He seemed to be contemplating the same decision I had been in his head and I suddenly found myself panicking. I didn't want to be bad at kissing. I wasn't ready to find out if I lacked the talent yet, either. Could you lack that talent? Was that even considered a talent?

I panicked, and I jumped in the car before he could make any distinct move. He looked slightly disappointed for a moment, but his face changed the moment I turned the key in the ignition. My truck sputtered several times, but the ignition refused to turn over. I sighed and rested my forehead on the steering wheel as I again turned the key, rendering the same result.

"Stalled," I groaned.

"I'll pull my car over and jump it for you," he offered.

"Kay…" I sighed. "Thanks".

He disappeared for a moment, giving me just enough time to mumble out a few choice words for my truck under my breath. I tried to start it one more time, but to no avail. I popped the hood and jumped out of the truck as Edward pulled his car around.

"I'm sorry about this," I groaned as he popped his hood and extracted a new set of jumper cables from the back of his trunk.

"It's okay, Bella. Shit happens," he waved off my apology.

I extended my hands for the cables. I had done this many times with my truck, so I knew exactly what I was doing. I expected that Edward had never had to jump a vehicle in his life. His vehicles were always in great condition, I'm sure.

"I got it," he grinned, expertly placing the cables. Surprisingly enough, he seemed to know what he was doing.

In less than a minute, my truck groaned to life.

He grinned proudly as he put away the cables and shut the hood on his car. "Are you sure that thing is going to make it back to your house without dying on you again?" His face turned serious as he asked.

"Yeah, it should be fine.." I shrugged. Almost as if its intention was proving me wrong, my truck's engine whined slightly before the engine began grumbling louder.

"Are you sure?" he smirked.

I grimaced.

"I'll follow you home," he smiled. "Just to make sure."

"No, you don't have to do that…" I blushed, feeling guilty for wasting his time like that.

"It's okay, Bella. I have to go to the bank today anyway before it closes," he insisted.

I sighed and gave him my best stern look before rolling my eyes in defeat. "Fine," I said with mock annoyance.

He rolled his eyes back at me and jumped into his car.

The entire drive home I could almost see his impatience radiating from the car behind me. I was going much slower than he cared to even take corners at, I was certain. By the time we finally reached my home, I figured he might explode with frustration. Instead, he appeared by my door while I was gathering my things and opened the door for me, a smile on his face.

"You don't always have to do that, you know.." I said as I jumped out of the truck.

"I know," he shrugged.

I shook my head subtly and smiled as I shut the door. He seemed intent on walking me to my door, too. The fear returned to my stomach. Was this the part where we kissed? Was that part coming at all? I knew somehow that I was going to be really bad at it.

I surveyed the driveway and found that Charlie's cruiser was not present. I figured that he was probably already at work.

I stopped on the porch just before the door and turned to face Edward. He was staring intently at me, biting his bottom lip.

"Wannacomein?" I blurted out quickly.

"What?" he frowned.

"Would you like to come in?" I repeated. Was I being too forward? Should I be inviting him into my house when my father wasn't there? Did that mean something I wasn't aware that it meant? Shit, I was bad at this. "I mean… so that I can make you that CD," I added quickly.

"Oh," his face fell for a moment, but then he reinstalled the smile and nodded. "Sure."

"Okay.." I fumbled with the house key and finally managed to open the front door. I found myself to be absurdly nervous as I ascended the stairs, leading the way to my room. I had a feeling that if Charlie were here, he wouldn't be so fond of the idea of me having a boy in my room. Alone. But he wasn't here, and something told me he would have even more of a problem with that. I mean… Jacob was in there all the time. But only when both of our parents were downstairs. And besides, Jacob was like my brother.

I opened the door to my room, hoping desperately that I hadn't left anything embarrassing laying around. It would be just my luck to invite him into my room when a pile of dirty clothes was sitting by the foot of the bed or something. Luckily, I had just done laundry and cleaned my room, so there were no skeletons to be worried about.

I took a seat in the computer chair and started it up. I turned around and found him standing somewhat awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"You can sit," I giggled, nodding my head toward the bed.

He smiled and sat down, bouncing his leg as he waited patiently. I shuffled in the cabinet beneath the desk until I found a pack of blank Cds and a sharpie marker. I took the CD out of the case and wrote "Yiruma" on the top of it, sparing a moment to blush at my terrible handwriting before popping the CD into the computer and bringing up my iTunes program.

As the CD began burning, I rotated my chair back around so that I was facing Edward. His gaze was fixated on a corner of the room, and when I followed it, I found that he was studying a piece of blue construction paper that was tacked to the wall. It was a finger painting that I had no recollection of doing. I remembered the story my mom told me about it, though..

"Young artist?" he commented.

"Not really," I wrinkled my nose.

"Looks like a pretty creative piece to me," he joked.

I turned back to study the picture again. It was one of those things that I just took for granted. It had always been there, but I had never really taken the time to look at it.

"I don't remember when I made it, but my mom always told me the story about it. She had a habit of retelling stories fifteen times, thinking it was new information to me. I always let her do it because she liked to talk," I smiled fondly as I thought of my mother. It was almost painful how much I missed her, but yet… I knew we were both where we needed to be right then. "Apparently the principal called her and had her come pick me up one day towards the end of my kindergarten year because I claimed to be homesick. As soon as I got home, I grabbed some paper and paint and started making this picture. She asked me what the heck I was doing and I told her that I was making a picture for my dad. I don't know, I guess she was really confused and then she figured out that it had been bring your father to school day. Everyone in my class had been making pictures with their dads when I left," I chuckled, staring aimlessly at the wall, not really seeing the picture anymore.

"That must have been tough," Edward commented, drawing me out of my reverie. "Growing up without your dad."

I shrugged slightly, "Yeah. I mean… I was distracted when I was growing up. Renee jumped from guy to guy all through my childhood, so I learned how to take care of her and myself when I was young. She's really scatterbrained like that. I would always worry about her when she would send me to Forks to visit my dad. God, I hated Forks when I was a kid…" I scoffed.

"Why?"

"I hated the rain. I liked to be able to sit outside and read a book in the sun. I was used to the Phoenix weather of one hundred plus degrees. Forks was like a polar opposite of that…" I looked back over to the picture and studied it again. "My stick figures even look awful," I grimaced.

"I especially like how the skirt your stick figure is wearing is about eight times the width of the stick figure itself," Edward chuckled. "And I also like how your dads gun is bigger than his head,"

"Shut up," I rolled my eyes. "At least I drew pretty rain…." I glanced back at the light blue streaks decorating the page and the dark gray cloud that covered half of the picture. There were several long yellow streaks of paint though that broke through the clouds right above the terrible stick figures. I squinted at the picture closer and saw that I had tried to depict Charlie's and my own stick figures as holding hands… but it looked more like there were two small pin cushions attached to each of our hands. In the other "hand" Charlie held a very rough sketch of a gun. I always pictured Charlie with a gun when I had been younger. It made me feel safe when I was with him. Renee had told me that I used to ask all of her boyfriends if they had a gun to protect her from bad people when I was younger. I didn't really remember that either.

The computer behind me clicked and the CD drive popped out. I retrieved the finished CD and put it back in the case and handed it over to Edward.

"Why thank you, miss," he said jokingly.

"You're quite welcome, sir," I replied.

We exchanged a quick smile before an awkward silence presented itself. I bit my lip tentatively, unsure of what to say or do next and suddenly very aware that I was alone with a boy in my room while Charlie wasn't home.

"I should, uh… I should probably get dinner started…" I mentioned.

"Oh," his face fell slightly and I immediately felt remorse. I didn't mean to make him feel like he had to leave.

"Shall we move this party to the kitchen?" I suggested, trying to throw as much lightheartedness into my voice as possible.

"Sure," he smiled, standing up from the bed and following me out the door. I grabbed my iPod off of my desk and lead the way.

"I'm sorry," I apologized quickly. "I'm being a terrible host. I should have warned you that I'm really not that interesting."

"I disagree," his voice was calm and smooth from behind me as we entered the kitchen. "I think you're very interesting."

I smiled quickly, wiping it away before he could see it. "You can sit at the table. I just have to get this roast in now because it needs to be slow cooked for at least 7 hours," I explained.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he offered. "After all, you did help make breakfast this morning."

"No, it's okay. Despite what you may think, a roast is probably one of the easiest things to make," I added.

He nodded and sat down at the table as I busied myself gathering things out of the refrigerator and cupboards. I was relieved when he began making successful small-talk. I had been running out of things to talk about, but he was much more creative than me. We discussed books and interests in more depth than we had before, only cut off when the phone began ringing. My hands were covered in potato peelings and I had a peeler in my hand, but I still managed to snatch the phone off of the cupboard and bring it to my ear.

"Shit," I mumbled, "This phone is dead."

"I can grab that one," Edward gestured to the wall where the phone was still ringing obnoxiously.

"Could you?" I asked uselessly. He nodded and sprinted over to it. A sudden pang of fear invaded my chest as I thought _what if it's Charlie?_

"Hello, Swan Residence," Edward's smooth voice fell from his lips like something sweeter than chocolate. I was momentarily dazed by how dulcet his voice could sound when he was trying.

"Hello?" he said again. He waited a moment before setting the phone back on the hook and turning to me with a shrug, "No answer."

I shrugged back, "I'll check the caller ID later."

He nodded and took his seat again, picking up our conversation where we had left off. I took the opportunity to suggest that he plug my iPod in during the first lull in conversation. I had forgotten that I brought it down and it was sitting on the table beside Edward.

"There's a dock right over there on the counter," I jerked my head to the side, gesturing toward it.

"You can pick whatever music you want," I shrugged, hoping that there wasn't any Spice Girls or something equally embarrassing accidentally uploaded onto it.

"Oh, okay.." he got up immediately to oblige. In several moments, the smooth melodies of "Kiss the Rain" by Yiruma were drifting through the kitchen.

"Mmm," I smiled. "You picked my favorite one."

He went back to sitting down at the table and quietly listened to the music for a while before commenting. "I feel like I cheated you."

"What?" I frowned, turning my attention from the carrots I was cutting up.

"This makes the CD I made you look amateurish."

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I smiled at him. He met my gaze for several seconds before nodding slightly.

"Very beautiful."

I don't know what it was about the way he said it that was so embarrassing, but I quickly turned back around to hide my blush.

We listened to the music for a little bit longer until it was interrupted by Edwards cell phone ringing, which was harsh in comparison.

"Hello?" I heard him speak into the phone in a much less comforting tone as he had answered my phone with. "What do you mean you lost your car?"

I frowned in confusion, turning around to shoot him a questioning glance. He rolled his eyes at the speaker on the phone and continued. "What park did you lose your car at, Emmett?"

I stifled a giggle and finished depositing the carrots into the pot and covering it.

"Find a road sign you moron," Edward continued behind me as I washed my hands and turned to face him, leaning on the counter.

"You're at Trombley park, then?" he frowned. " Have you been there since the party last night? Dumbass. Where's Rose? You lost Rose, too?"

I placed two hands over my mouth to stifle the sudden bout of laughter.

"Yeah, dude. I'll come find you. You so owe me for this, though." Edward repocketed his phone and let out a long sigh as I released my laughter.

"What?" I asked.

"He left Tanya's party after we did last night, but not before taking a 5th of vodka with him. Him and Rose went to the park and drank on the swingset. He just woke up on a bench and Rose was gone and he can't find his vehicle and his head hurts. That's the basic story." Edward groaned, rubbing his hand over his face in exasperation.

I laughed again, "He make's good choices."

"His moral compass is definitely a fascinating thing," Edward nodded in agreement. "But it seems that I have to be going so that I can pick up my severely hung over best friend and find his car and girlfriend."

"Did he seriously lose Rose?" I frowned.

"I'm guessing she just left his ass there and took his car after he passed out. That's something that Rose would do. She holds her alcohol very well."

I giggled.

"Neither of them should have been driving anyway," he frowned. "I hate when they get wasted like that and then drive. It's not as bad if they're only kind of buzzed. Anyway," he said, standing up. "Thanks for the CD…"

I began walking with him toward the door, my heart rate accelerating as we got closer and closer to the goodbye I had been stressing over all day.

He slipped his shoes back on at the door and I stepped out onto the porch with him.

"Well…" he rocked back on his heels a little and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Thanks again, Bella. For… you know, coming with me last night. And I'm really sorry about what happened."

"It could have been much worse," I reminded him. "And you're welcome. It was pretty fun… with that exception."

"Yeah… I'm… embarrassed." he said, running his hand through his hair.

"It's not your fault," I reminded him.

"Yeah. So… about our… situation," he continued. "Would you prefer if I didn't sit next to you at lunch? I mean… just so we can keep this… so we can keep _us_ on the down low and prevent stuff like that.." He waved his hand behind him in an absent gesture.

I gulped. "I don't know. I don't want to… I mean… I would really like to be able to…"

"No, I know what you mean," he stepped in. "I don't want you to get hurt on my account. It would be selfish of me to expect you to do that."

I didn't say anything, I just looked up at him. His eyes were full of a mixture of emotions. Regret, sadness, determination…

"We'll just see how it works out?" I suggested questioningly.

"Okay. But we'll still have to be lab partners," he pointed out. "I don't think Mr. Banner would let me switch again… and I really don't want to go back to partnering with Tanya.."

I let out a small laugh and nodded in agreement.

"And we can… you know. Hang out after school and on weekends instead of in school…" he continued, looking up at me to gauge my response.

I nodded again, "That sounds like a plan," I said lamely.

"Are you going to tell your dad?" he asked suddenly, biting his lip quickly afterward, his eyes full of apology.

"Oh… um, maybe. At the right time. Are you going to tell your parents?"

"Yes. If it's okay with you. Alice will beat it out of me anyway… and my mom and dad pretty much love you already, so I'm sure they'll be thrilled. Alice won't say anything, though. Except maybe to Jasper. But he can keep a secret."

"Okay," I nodded.

"Right… well," he glanced down at the welcome mat beneath our feet and then back up at me again. "I guess I'll see you Monday.."

I nodded, giving him a slight smile and trying to figure out whether I should hug him or… shake his hand or… something.

He made an awkward hand gesture and then half turned to leave, but stopped short. He turned back to me, his face uncertain. "Can I…" he started hesitantly. "Would it be okay if I kissed you goodbye?"

I felt my heart melt. I knew he was chivalrous and polite and everything, but I hadn't expected him to be so polite as to ask me first. I couldn't say no…

"I…" I felt my heart jump up into my throat, efficiently blocking my speech. "I might be bad… I mean… I've never.." I flushed scarlet and felt my face heat up exponentially. "Yes," I whispered.

The corner of his mouth pulled up into a breathtaking half smile and he looked at me for a moment before lifting his hand to my face. He placed his fingers just beneath my chin and tilted my head up. I felt suddenly weak as he leaned toward me. His lips were warm as they pressed against mine. It was a moment of total bliss tangled in a mass of nerves. He pulled away almost immediately, smiling again. I don't know what I was so worried about. It was just a peck on the lips after all.

"Bye, Bella," he grinned, squeezing my hand once before heading down the steps and toward his car. I hadn't even remembered holding his hand in the first place, but I wasn't going to dwell on that right now. I stood on the porch, glued to my spot. My heart was racing and I felt my lips break into a huge smile. I watched as he got into his car, throwing me one last smile before putting it in gear and driving off. It wasn't until after he was gone that I noticed the other vehicle on the street.

A yellow Rabbit.

My heart plummeted. I knew that vehicle. And I knew the person sitting in the driver's seat. I felt my smile vanish as I stared back at him. Through the distance that separated us, I couldn't read his expression… but one could guess that it was not going to be one of approval.

I stood for another moment, uncertain of what to do. He continued to sit in his car, unmoving. Finally, I forced my feet to move. I walked down the porch steps and toward his car. He merely stared at me as I approached. His eyes were emotionless and dark. I was only 3 feet away when he finally moved. He opened the car door and stepped out, slamming the rusted door with excessive force behind him and crossing his arms as he leaned against it.

"Jake… what's, um… what's up?" I stammered. "What are you doing here?"

He stared at me for several uncomfortable moments, his expression still unreadable. "What do you mean what am I doing here, Bella? You hung up on me last night after you told an obvious lie as to your whereabouts. You never called me back or answered my calls the rest of the night. I call your house this morning first to find that no one is home, then again to a strange guys voice answering. I come over and I see you sucking face with… Bella, what's going on?" His voice grew darker and more solemn with each word until I was cringing at his tone.

"What do you mean what's going on?"

"Who was that?"

"It was…" I hesitated, knowing that he wasn't going to be happy about this. "Edward."

"Edward Cullen!?" His voice jumped several notches up in volume.

"Yes," I replied timidly.

"Isabella, did you spend the night with that boy last night? Did your dad know that you spent the night with a boy?"

Something about his condescending tone set me off. It flipped a switch in my brain and I was suddenly seething.

"That is none of your business, Jake," I growled.

"It is my business, Bella. If you're not going to look out for yourself, someone has to!"

"What makes you think that I need anyone to look out for me?" I began raising my voice more and more.

"Well obviously you do! What are you doing hanging out with _Edward Cullen_?" he spat the name out like it had an unpleasant taste.

"What do you have against Edward Cullen?" I challenged, placing my hands on my hips and taking a very defensive stance.

"He's not good for you!"

"And who are you to judge what is and what isn't good for me?" I growled.

"Your best friend," he stated simply.

"Well your attitude right now is proving otherwise," I snapped.

His face fell and he stared at me in disbelief for a moment. I almost regretted being so harsh, but I was too livid and angry to care at that moment.

After a little more silence, he said quietly, "You've already changed."

"No I haven't," I argued.

"You spent the night at a boys house and lied to your dad about it." It was a statement of fact, not a request for confirmation. That angered me further.

"How do you know that's what I did last night?" I snarled.

"Because you didn't correct me the first time I accused you."

"For your information, I went to a party last night. And Charlie knows that I spent the night at the Cullen's so don't you go waving around false accusations."

"Does Charlie know that you're making out with one of the Cullen's?" Jacob raised his eyebrow sarcastically.

"No, he doesn't. First of all, we weren't making out, and seeing as that is the first time it happened, I don't think you can fault me for him not knowing thanks." I said sarcastically.

"Bella… I can't believe you can't see how this has changed you. You just admitted to going to a party last night. That is so unlike you."

"Would you prefer that I spend my Friday nights at home with my dad for the rest of my life? I need to start living sometime, Jake."

"You could have come to the bonfire on the rez!" he argued. "You know we have a bonfire every Friday night. Why did you have to…. I mean… Bella, why him?"

"Why not him?" I retorted.

He stared at me for a moment before responding. "I told you. He's not good for you."

"What reason do you have to justify that? Do you know him?"

"It's… the whole family… they just.."

"What?" I frowned, wondering how he was going to pull the entire family into this conversation.

"They have a bad reputation on the rez," he explained.

"Why?"

"I don't know!" he threw his hands in the air. "I just know they're not… he's not right for you."

"Then who is?" I groaned.

He stared at me for a moment in disbelief before he shook his head and opened the door of his car.

"Wait, where are you going?" I grabbed the door as he climbed into the car.

"Home," he growled before wrenching the door out of my grip and driving off.

I stood for several minutes in the middle of the road, staring after Jacob's receding taillights before giving up and going back into the house. The music was still playing in the kitchen and I ended up sitting at the table, staring at the wall for about an hour.

I had been so ridiculously happy for the briefest moment and Jacob had to ruin it. I was so mad at him that it was almost unbelievable… but why did I feel so guilty about it. He had offended me in several ways, and I had been completely within my rights to say the things that I had said… but still…

I took out my phone and sent him a single text.

_I'm genuinely happy for the first time in a long time. Why can't you be happy for me instead of ruining it?_

After I sent it, the truth behind the words hit me. I really was happy, despite being sick with worry over my relationship with my best friend. Despite the knowledge that I would have to hide everything I felt toward Edward during school hours. Despite what almost happened last night…

I couldn't be upset about any of it because in truth, I was too happy about everything else.

I looked up at the clock, shocked to find that it was already 4 in the afternoon. Charlie would be home any time.

After some contemplation, I decided not to tell Charlie about Edward just yet. It wasn't the right time for me. I was too upset over Jacobs reaction, I didn't need to worry about Charlie's reaction on top of that.

When Charlie arrived home, I managed to get away with minimal conversation about the previous night. I didn't want to lie anymore than I had to, and I didn't want to make him suspicious. He seemed satisfied enough with the details that I did give him. I told him that Carlisle had told me to tell him "Hi" and then he got sidetracked discussing how much he liked Dr. Cullen. After supper, I excused myself to my bedroom, happy to have some more time to myself. I popped in the CD that Edward had given me and plucked my weathered copy of "Wuthering Heights" off of the shelf and plopped down onto the bed. Just as I had hoped, I was immediately immersed in the crinkled and dog-eared pages. I was lost to the world until about 10 at night when my phone went off, signaling a text message. I realized that I was tired anyway and put the book away as I reached for my cell phone.

_I love this CD. Thanks for a great day. Can I call you tomorrow?_

I was smiling before I had even read the end of the text. I responded - _Right back at you, and yes, of course you can call me._

I set my phone down and quickly changed into my pajamas.

It only took him thirty-two seconds to respond. I knew because I counted.

_Okay. I'll talk to you then. Sweet dreams, Bella. :) _

I fell asleep with a smile on my face.


	13. Chapter 13

EPOV

Emmett was sitting on a park bench toward the eastern edge of the park. He was shirtless, and there was a hole near the pocket of his khaki shorts revealing dark blue boxers ornate with precious, yellow rubber duckies. His hair was in complete disarray and there were smudges of dirt sporadically smeared on his face. He also appeared to be missing a shoe.

I highly considered driving past him. It was unfortunate that he had already seen me. He rose from the bench and jogged toward my car.

"You smell, man," I commented as he deposited himself into my passenger seat.

"Nice to see you, too."

"What the hell happened to you?" I shook my head, confounded.

"Dude, I have no idea…" he laughed.

"It's really not that funny. You lost your girlfriend and your vehicle," I said pointedly. "And your shoe."

"And shirt, apparently. I was really cold this morning," he was still grinning.

"Em, this really isn't that funny."

"Oh take a chill pill. I'll bet big money that Rose got annoyed with me and took my car and went home. She wasn't nearly as drunk as I was last night. I'm not sure why…"

"Do you remember anything?" I scowled.

"Yes. I remember leaving Tanya's shortly after you did. I remember getting to the park with Rose and then I was playing on the swing set. And then we…or, I… got out the bottle of vodka. That's when it goes fuzzy."

"You have a problem," I shook my head disapprovingly.

"Oh please. Just because you got into one accident you're suddenly the poster boy for responsible drinking."

"If you'll recall, I was never really a fan of getting trashed before, either."

"Before what?"

"Before I met Bella," the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Oh. Wait; don't tell me you're going to start on the _She makes me want to be a better person_ thing. That's so cliché," he rolled his eyes.

"First of all," I snapped, "She _does_ make me want to be a better person. Second, my sudden disposition to drinking comes more from the fact that…I mean…" I was waving my hands around as if the haphazard gesture should explain it all. "Look what happened last night. People were drinking and Bella almost got hurt. Tanya was wasted and tried to…in the bathroom…and then," I was getting flustered just talking about it.

"Okay, okay," Emmett shook his head. "First of all, don't use big words like dispo…whatever. My head is killing me. And second, wait a minute. What about Tanya in the bathroom?"

"Ugh," I groaned, dropping my head onto the steering wheel so that my car let out one short honk of protest.

"No, no. You can't bring something like that up and then just…what happened?" Emmett pressed.

"I was going to the bathroom and she let herself into the bathroom and tried to…"

"Tried to what?"

I smacked my forehead into the steering wheel several more times, resulting in another three honks.

"Seduce you?" he finished.

"More or less," I allowed with a slight shrug of my shoulders.

"When did this happen in comparison to Bella's disappearance?"

"Just before, I think. I mean…I couldn't find her when I got out of the bathroom."

"Dude, do you think she planned for James to…you know,"

I looked over at Emmett, confused.

"I mean, the timing seems kind of…ironic. Tanya starts distracting you in the bathroom at the same time that Bella gets confronted by James."

"You think Tanya planned for James to…" I let the words falter as the wheels in my head began turning. "Would she do that?" I knew the answer before I asked. She would.

"I don't know, man. I would like to say that she wouldn't, but it is Tanya. Remember when she spread that rumor that Rose was pregnant with your kid? There's not much that she wouldn't do."

I gripped the steering wheel for several seconds, my knuckles turning white with effort.

"Can we stop talking about this? Bella and I discussed it last night and…that's that. It's over with."

"Yeah," he said quietly.

"Where am I taking you?"

"Rose's house."

"Okay."

I started the car and put it into gear. Emmett fell silent in the passenger seat for several moments before he suddenly shouted "Pull over! That's my other shoe! Pull over, pull over!"

I obliged and watched him scramble out of the car, increasing the size of the hole in his pants in his haste. I rolled my eyes as I watched him pick his shoe up off the top of the fire hydrant and hop on one foot as he put it back on.

"You're ridiculous," I shook my head dubiously at him as he climbed back into the car.

"What? I found my shoe! I found it."

I shook my head again as I put the car back into gear and pulled back onto the road.

"You wouldn't happen to have an aspirin, a bottle of water, and an ice pack handy, would you?" Emmett groaned, pressing his hands over his forehead.

"Bit of a headache there, buddy?" I chuckled unsympathetically.

"Yes."

"Nope. I had an extra water bottle and a bottle of Tylenol in my old car, but I didn't put it in this one yet," I shrugged.

"Figures. I'll get some from Rose," he decided, leaning his head against the cool window and finishing off the rest of the ride in silence until we turned down Rose's street. He picked his head up and squinted toward her driveway where, sure enough, his jeep was parked.

I pulled in behind it and he jumped out of the car and bounded towards the front door.

"Em!" I shouted as I opened my own door. He wheeled around to face me. "Don't you think her parents are going to be a bit suspicious about you showing up here in the state you're in?"

"They're on a romantic weekend getaway," he explained, applying the air quotes to his statement for added effect. "It's just Rose here."

I nodded my understanding and followed him up the sidewalk at a slower pace. He knocked several times on the front door and began bouncing around in anticipation.

"Anxious, much?" I chortled.

"No, man. I have to pee," he whined.

I laughed a little as I watched him leap awkwardly over the hedge, still dancing around in an attempt to distract his vodka-abused bladder. He knocked haphazardly on a window and in a moment the shades were wrenched apart to reveal a very tired looking Rose whom he had obviously just woken up. She rolled her eyes and shut the curtains, appearing a moment later at the front door. As soon as the door was opened, Emmett sped past her with a quick "Morning, Rose" toward the bathroom.

She stumbled a little as he passed her and shook her head, unsurprised. "Morning, Edward."

"Afternoon," I corrected her, consulting my watch to find that it was 2 o'clock.

She made a face that I took to be something along the lines of _oh crap, I slept til 2?_ and beckoned me in. I followed her into the kitchen and watched as she took out two cups and a bottle of aspirin. "Would you like some water?" she offered without looking at me.

"I'm good," I refused politely.

She filled the two glasses with water and retrieved four pills from the bottle as Emmett walked into the kitchen.

"That was the most amazing piss in American history," he claimed with an air of pride.

I made a face and Rose groaned. "Super."

She pushed the glass and two pills at him and said "Here, moron."

"Awe, thanks baby," he said with an excess of enthusiasm. "You're so good," he put his arms around Rose's waist and squeezed her in a semi-sarcastic display of affection.

"You stink," Rose said matter-of-factly.

"But you love me," Emmett retorted in a sing song voice.

"Mmhm," Rose rolled her eyes a little and turned her head up to give him a quick kiss. "I'd love you more if you went and took a shower."

"Alright, alright," he groaned, downing the pills and water and heading back to the bathroom. I followed Rose out to the kitchen table where she lowered herself into one of the chairs and let her head loll backwards as she grimaced.

"How's your head?" I smiled.

"Probably better than Emmett's. I quit drinking long before him. He had a fifth more vodka than I did, I think."

I rolled my eyes.

"So," she slammed her hands down on the table with excessive force, wincing after she did so and pausing for a moment to allow her headache to subside back to a dull roar. "What happened last night after you guys left the party?"

I looked at her for a moment; her eyes were slightly bloodshot, but clearly imploring. I sighed and leaned back in the chair.

"I brought Bella back to my place."

"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Her truck was there," I explained.

"Was she…okay?" Rose's face was covered with genuine concern.

"She was a bit distraught," I allowed.

"She had every right to be. I swear, the next time I see James I'm going to junk punch him so hard he won't know what hit him. Any chance you know where I can get my hands on a testicle shocking taser?"

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, I couldn't help but laugh. Rose was always very…passionate about things like this. She was an extreme feminist and at any sign of a woman being repressed or taken advantage of, she was right there waving her facts in everyone's face.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"I…I don't really know. I apologized a lot and eventually she seemed to be okay. But she fell asleep in my lap in the car while we were waiting for Alice. It took her forever to get back home even though I thought she left right after us,"

Rose smirked and ducked her head down a little, avoiding eye contact.

"What?" I demanded.

"You missed the confrontation."

"What confrontation?" I narrowed my eyes questioningly.

"Just as we were about to leave, Alice stormed back in and started screaming at James and Tanya."

"What was she saying?"

"I don't remember. I was a little bit drunk. I do remember her punching him, though."

"She punched him?!" I gasped.

"She has a nasty right hook, your sister," Rose nodded approvingly. "Emmett was laughing so hard at it I swear he almost pissed himself."

I slapped my hand to my forehead and let it slide down my face. "I should've known that Alice wasn't going to let that go without taking it into her own hands."

"Yeah. If I had been more sober I totally would have helped her," Rose sighed regretfully. "Anyway, go on."

"Oh, um…" I frowned, trying to remember where I left off. "Oh. After Alice got home she convinced Bella to stay the night at our house instead of driving home. She ended up sleeping in my bed,"

Rose's eyes bulged.

"I took the couch," I held out my hands as if to halt her sudden assumptions. She relaxed and crossed her arms in front of her chest, gesturing me to continue.

"Anyway, she had breakfast with my family and then I followed her home because she was having issues with her truck."

"Did she invite you in?"

"…. I… yes," I allowed slowly.

"And?"

"And nothing. We just talked a little bit while she was making supper…and then your bonehead boyfriend called."

"Did you kiss her?"

I felt my jaw slacken as I looked at her dubiously. Rose and I had always been friends, but not _this_ good of friends. She was being surprisingly nosy about this.

"You did," she concluded for herself. "How did it go?"

I shook my head quickly, dispelling her accusations. "Whoa, what are you-"

"You hesitated. Now I know you did kiss her so I need details."

"I…it was only a peck," I tried to wave it off.

"Pussy," she accused. "You should have went for it."

"I was trying to take it at her pace. After what I put her through the night before…she deserves that much."

"You didn't put her through shit," Rosalie corrected me. "Tanya put her through that. And trust me. Bitch will pay for that."

"Rose…please don't." I pleaded.

"Why the hell not?" she frowned. "She totally deserves it!"

"Rose…there's something you should know," I started.

"Whoa, am I interrupting something?" Emmett said as he walked back into the room, obviously only catching my last sentence.

"No," I leaned back in my chair and looked at him. "You should hear it too."

He frowned questioningly and took a seat next to Rose as I started. "Bella and I…we're not going to be public about this."

"About what?" Emmett questioned. "About…wait, so you're saying that there is…that you are…you're _dating_?"

Rosalie grinned.

I grimaced, "Technically?"

"Way to go Edward! Way to stick it to Tanya."

"No, hang on, hang on," I held my hands out in front of me again. "We're not going to be public."

Their faces fell simultaneously.

"What?!" Emmett groaned.

"Why?!" Rosalie shrieked.

"Well because of what happened yesterday," I shrugged. "She isn't used to that kind of attention and…I mean, obviously Tanya is more than capable of making bad shit happen to her if she wants to. I just don't want to put her in that position. And…she doesn't want to be in that position. I'm doing it for her. To protect her."

"You're an idiot," Emmett said simply, his face hosting a frown of disappointment.

Rose's face, however, had softened into an almost proud-looking smile. "That's so sweet," she half whispered.

"That's not sweet," Emmett argued. She punched him in the arm.

"It is sweet. Edward is making a sacrifice to protect Bella. It's admirable."

"It's stupid, at best," Emmett mumbled, followed by a sharp "Ow!" as Rosalie punched him again.

"Like you have any right to call someone else stupid after last night," she scowled.

He averted his eyes to the table and I raised my eyebrows in interest.

"Oh don't tell me you've forgotten it all," she looked between the two of us for an answer. I shrugged at her and Emmett remained silent.

"You don't remember taking off your shirt and trying to use it to zip line across the monkey bars?"

Emmett looked up at her, horrified. "No," he said in disbelief. I stifled a laugh.

"You don't remember pissing in the bird bath? You don't remember filling the squirt gun in your Jeep with vodka and squirting me with it?"

"Why didn't you stop me?!" he wailed. "That's a waste of vodka."

"You didn't seem to think so last night. You thought it was a brilliant idea because I was wearing a white shirt."

I let my head fall onto the table with a thud. Emmett looked mildly embarrassed, but also sheepishly proud of himself.

"Do you remember-?"

"Please no more," Emmett pleaded. Rose ignored him.

"-ordering pizza for that family of squirrels?"

"I did not!" Emmett argued.

"Check your recent calls, I'll bet you anything that the pizza place is on there. You left them a long message about how terrible it is of them to not be open when there are poor starving wildlife creatures that are in desperate need of a double cheese, pepperoni and sausage pizza with garlic crust."

Emmett looked incredulous, his mouth hanging open a little bit. Rose smiled and continued.

"There was also the twenty three verse love song for tacos. I recorded some of it on your phone if you're interested. And this, here," she pointed to a bruise on the back of her arm. "-is from you catapulting me off of the see-saw."

He winced.

"And then there was the phone call you made to Alice, telling her you wanted to have her babies."

"Are you serious?!" he groaned.

"No, that one didn't actually happen."

"Rose," Emmett groaned. "Not funny."

"Edward thinks it's funny," she argued, gesturing toward me as I had burst into a fit of laughter.

"I'm done drinking," Emmett said decisively.

"You said that last weekend," Rose said indifferently with a shrug of her shoulder.

We were quiet for several minutes, Emmett only breaking the silence with the faint but unmistakable sound of the taco song coming from his phone.

"I should get this published…er, recorded. This shit is good."

Rosalie rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to me.

"But anyway - how is that going to work? I mean…" she waved her hand as if that would ask the question for her.

'We just won't be public," I shrugged, assuming that she was back on track with our previous conversation. "Bella and I will just have to hang out on weekends and stuff, but as far as everyone in school will know, we just didn't work out."

"And at lunch?" Rose asked.

"I'll sit with you guys. Bella said she's fine with sitting alone. She's done it most of her life apparently," I could feel the sadness creep over my face as I said it and Rose looked sympathetic.

"What about Tanya, though?" Emmett mumbled as he shoved his phone back into his pocket.

"What about her?" Rosalie turned on him. "I'm sure as hell not sitting with her anymore. I never really liked her very much to begin with."

"Thanks," I smiled sheepishly.

"We'll sit with Edward and make it quite clear to her that she isn't welcome to sit with us," Rose continued.

"Works for me," Emmett agreed.

"Well, I don't know how you're going to do it. I would never be able to have a secret relationship. I admire you for the intention, though."

I didn't respond. I stared down at the table, studying the carefully polished grain in the wood. It took me several moments to become cognizant of the sudden silence at the table.

"Well," I said, placing my hands palm down on the table and pushing my chair back. "I suppose I had better get home."

"You're not going to the beach?" Emmett asked curiously.

"Beach?" Rose perked up and turned to Emmett questioningly.

"Jazz texted me a few minutes before Edward picked me up and told me that he and Alice were going to be at the beach today. I told him we'd meet them."

"That sounds excellent," Rose sighed. "Why aren't you going, Ed?"

"I don't want to run into certain people there…" I grimaced.

"Right. Well if I see either of _them_," she made a face. "I'll be sure to punch them in the baby-maker for you."

I mimicked her facial expression. "Yeah, thanks. I'll see you guys later."

"Bye," they both said together as I rose from the table and excused myself.

When I began driving again, it was with no real destination. I knew that Esme was out shopping for the day, Carlisle was at work, and Alice and Jasper were at the beach. The house was empty, but I had no real reason to go there. I drove through the town for a few minutes, making random turns and traveling down streets that I had never had reason to drive on before. Finally I pulled into an abandoned church parking lot and pulled out my phone.

BPOV

_I'm really quite bored, now._ The text message read.

I set down the book I was nearly finished with and began to reply. _Yeah, me too. I had no homework this weekend._

_Same here._ He replied.

I hesitated for a moment before typing _I would invite you back over here if you just wanted to hang out or something, but my dad is home now._

After several minutes with no reply I set my phone down and got up from the bed, figuring that he wasn't intending on responding. No sooner had I taken another step, however, and my phone buzzed.

_Do you think I should introduce myself to your dad?_

The question confused me. He had already met my dad the night we had gotten into the accident. Plus, my father was quite fond of Dr. Cullen, so it's not exactly like they were strangers. I was halfway through with my response when he texted again.

_As your boyfriend, I mean._

My heart plummeted directly into my stomach. I hadn't thought about that. That was traditional, wasn't it? For the boyfriend to introduce himself to the girls father? Or was it the girl who was supposed to introduce the boyfriend to her father? I wasn't sure. The most knowledge I had on dating came from my books, and those were all set in the 1800s.

How would Charlie react to Edward being my boyfriend? He hadn't seemed too awfully pleased with any discussion about him earlier in the week for some unknown reason. I didn't want him to be rude to Edward. That would be both embarrassing and terrifying on my part. I knew, though, that Charlie had to know. We might be able to fool the school into thinking otherwise, but Charlie was my father and he had a right to know. Besides that, I was certain that Charlie finding out I was dating Edward Cullen would be much more tolerable than Charlie finding out I had been secretly dating Edward Cullen without telling him for however long.

Why were relationships so difficult?

_Probably. I don't know how he'll react, though._ My mouth and throat were becoming dryer and dryer by the second and there was an entire circus of butterflies inhabiting my stomach.

_I'm sure it will be fine. I'm pretty good at diffusing parental anxieties._

I couldn't help but smile at the way he had worded it. _Okay. We're having dinner at 6:30 if you want to just come over then. I can tell him that I invited someone to dinner._

_That's perfect. I'll see you in an hour and a half._

I looked at the clock to find that it was already 5. I guess I had subconsciously known that as Charlie had just returned home and 5 was the time he usually got back from his weekday shifts.

Slowly I descended the stairs, figuring out in my head exactly how I was going to tell Charlie that Edward was coming over.

"Hey, Bells," he greeted in a gruff voice as I entered the living room. Just as I expected I would find him, he was reclined in the chair with a beer and the remote in hand.

"How was work?" I started hesitantly.

"Fine. The most exciting thing that happened today was some woman needing to be physically removed from the Newton's store because she was somehow convinced that Mrs. Newton was sleeping with her husband."

"Was she?" I asked impulsively.

He didn't seem to mind. He shrugged, still looking at the television, "It's not my job to find out. Molly claims that the woman was crazy, though. It doesn't really matter one way or another."

I nodded once and began pulling at the hem of my shirt. "So, about dinner..." I started.

"Yeah, it smells really good, Bells. When will it be ready to eat?"

"Oh, um, around 6:30. But…is it okay if I invite someone else over for dinner too?"

At that he looked up from the television. His expression was a mixture of surprised, pleased, and nervous. "Who?"

"_EdwerClen_" I mumbled inaudibly.

"What?" he asked, cocking his head toward me.

"A friend," I said softly.

He raised his eyebrow questioningly at me and finally shrugged, taking a sip of his beer. "Yeah. That's fine."

Relieved that he had submitted without as much questioning as I had expected, I escaped back up to my room where I sat studying my closet for the next hour.

I finally settled on a pair of khaki sand-diggers and a light blue blouse. It was very plain and not at all interesting, but it was all I really had. I wasn't one for shopping and at the library I was allowed to wear jeans and a sweatshirt if I wanted to. I didn't have very many nice clothes.

I brushed my teeth and hair several times and applied an extra layer of deodorant, just in case. About 20 minutes after six I ran downstairs and started taking the roast out of the oven. I was quite satisfied with how it had turned out. Usually I didn't really care that much about the quality of my meals. Charlie would pretty much eat anything. Today, though, I had someone else to impress.

Charlie eyed me suspiciously as he came into the kitchen to get another beer. He took in my outfit and raised his eyebrows at me before sitting down at the table.

"So who exactly are we having over for dinner, Isabella?"

I flinched as he used my full name. I opened my mouth to respond, but shut it quickly as I heard the crunch of gravel in the driveway. The butterflies that I had almost forgotten came back with a vengeance. I gripped the counter to steady myself for a moment before bringing the three plates I had just prepared over to the table, paying careful mind not to let my hands shake too much.

"Bella?" he pressed, staring at me expectantly.

I heard a car door slam outside and I looked at Charlie nervously. "Please, be nice," I pleaded quietly.

His eyebrows pressed together over his eyes and he opened his mouth to question me further. He was cut off, however, by a knock at the front door.

"I'll get it," I whispered, setting the third plate down and rushing to the entryway, stumbling once or twice in my haste.

"Hi," I said quietly, the slightest hint of apology in my voice as I greeted Edward. He was also dressed in khaki pants and a button up shirt. I bit my lip as I took in the sight of him standing on my doorstep with his hands in his pockets.

"Hi," he replied.

"Come in," I swung the door open and he joined me in the entry way.

"Good God that smells delicious," he grinned.

I smiled back feebly.

"What's wrong? You look scared to death."

I raised my eyebrows a little as if to say "Gee, I wonder why," and jerked my head toward the kitchen. Edward reached out and grabbed my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before letting it drop and gesturing me into the kitchen before him in a very gentlemanly fashion.

Charlie didn't look the least bit surprised as I entered the kitchen with Edward. On the contrary, he looked as if he had been expecting it.

"Edward," he nodded once.

"Good Evening, Chief Swan," Edward greeted happily, following me over to the table where he took the last remaining seat.

An awkward silence weighed down the atmosphere as we all stared at our plates for a moment. Charlie was the first one to pick up his fork. Edward and I followed his lead.

"This is really good, Bella," Edward said softly after another several minutes of only the sounds of forks scraping on the plates.

"Yeah, Bells," Charlie mumbled in agreement. "One of the best roasts you've ever made."

"Thanks," I said quietly.

I suddenly noticed that I had forgotten to get Edward anything to drink.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you, um…do you want a Coke? Or…water?"

"A Coke would be fine, thank you." He flashed a brilliant smile at me and Charlie made a noise that resembled something half-way between a cough and a hiccup.

Another uncomfortable silence resumed after I had gotten Edward a drink. It stuck around until almost the end of dinner when Edward finally began to make small talk.

"Before I forget, my father told me to give you his regards, Chief Swan." Edward smiled.

"Oh, right," Charlie nodded twice. "How is Dr. Cullen doing?"

"He's doing well."

"And your mother?"

"Just fine, thank you. She's getting ready to go back to school to get a degree in psychology, actually."

"Is she? That's…that's great," Charlie nodded again.

"Dad, there's something…"

"What?" he cut me off. "Do I have some roast in my mustache?" He ran his hand over his mouth and inspected it, looking for any left behind food.

"No, that's not….I mean," I faltered, feeling my face blush scarlet. I knew that the sooner someone brought it up, the sooner we would get the pinnacle of awkward moments out of the way.

"Chief Swan," Edward interjected, giving me a reassuring glance. "First of all, thank you for having me over for supper tonight."

"Oh, I…yeah," Charlie mumbled quickly. "You're welcome." He stood up from the table suddenly looking very uncomfortable. He grabbed my plate out from in front of me and Edward's plate from in front of him and took them to the sink and began to wash them. I gave Edward a wide-eyed grimace as I watched him. Charlie never did dishes. Never. Not since I had moved in.

"Tell your mom and dad that I said hi," He said to the wall, seemingly dismissing Edward from our house.

"Dad," I said nervously.

"Second of all, Chief Swan," Edward said loudly, catching Charlie's attention. He stopped scrubbing the plate that was in his hand and slowly turned the water off, turning around to look at Edward expectantly.

"Dad, I'll do the dishes later. Come sit down and relax," I insisted.

He looked at me for a moment and sighed, returning to his seat.

"Chief Swan," Edward continued. "The reason that Bella invited me over here tonight was so that I could tell you in person that your daughter and I are now a couple."

I winced internally and slowly brought my eyes up to meet Charlie's. Surprisingly, his face held no emotion. He was silent for several immeasurable seconds before he leaned forward and dropped his chin into his hand, resting his elbow on the table. He looked back and forth between Edward and I about four times before he let his hand fall to the table with a thud.

Then he shrugged.

"Fine."

"Fine?" I echoed dubiously.

"Can't say I didn't expect it," he grumbled. "But you listen to me Isabella Marie Swan. No going to parties and no drinking. Just because you're dating Mr. Popular-pants over here," he gestured toward Edward, "Doesn't mean you get to throw your morals out the window. And if you get pregnant you're going back to live with your mother, you understand?"

"Dad," I hissed, feeling the color drain out of my face.

"You don't have anything to worry about, Chief Swa-"

"Oh for God's sake, Edward, call me Charlie!" he growled, pushing away from the table and retrieving another beer before he headed toward the living room. Edward and I sat quietly for a moment until the sound of the television picked back up.

"That went…" Edward hesitated.

"Much better than _I_ expected," I finished.

"I think that was his cue for me to leave, though…" Edward frowned.

"Probably," I agreed.

Edward stood up from the table and walked toward the living room. "Thanks, again, Chief - er, Charlie. Goodnight,"

"Mhm," I heard Charlie grumble indifferently.

"I'll walk you out," I chuckled.

He followed me to the door and out to the porch. I realized with a nervous pang that this was the second time in one day I had found myself standing with Edward on my front porch. It was already dark out, this time around. There were crickets noisily alerting us to their presence from every direction, but we ignored them.

"Thanks for having me over for dinner," he grinned.

"Thanks for…telling him for me."

"I kind of figured it was the least I could do after all the crap you've been through for me in the last two days."

I sighed and shook my head.

"So, I'll see you in school on Monday?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "Well…technically,"

"Technically I'll ignore you all day on Monday. But I'll still get to see you."

"Yeah," I suddenly felt a pang of guilt as I realized how much trouble I was putting him through,"

"Listen, Edward, I guess it's not really necessary for it to be a secre-"

He silenced me by placing his finger on my lips. I gulped at the contact and stared into his troubled eyes.

"It is necessary. It's necessary for me to make sure that you are as comfortable as possible. You deserve that after last-"

"Stop talking about last night," I interrupted him. "It's in the past. Don't worry about it."

His eyes softened and he squinted at me a little. It looked like he was about to say something, but then his shoulders relaxed and he sighed in resignation.

"Goodnight, Bella."

"Goodnight," I echoed.

This time as he leaned forward, I planned on meeting him halfway. We both froze, though, our faces only inches away as the porch light flickered off and then back on."

"That's my cue," I whispered.

"Mmm," he groaned.

"See you Monday," I said quietly, stepping toward the door.

He walked down the porch steps and turned back around. "Do you want to come over to my house after school on Monday?"

I smiled and nodded enthusiastically. His face broke into a huge grin. "Goodnight," he said again.

I smiled back at him and opened the front door, letting myself slip quietly back into the house. I expected to see Charlie standing near the door waiting for me, but he was no where to be found. I thought for a moment that the porch light may have just flickered on its own accord, but then I noticed a half-full beer can sitting on the window ledge next to the front door.

I picked it up and carried it back into the front room with me.

"Here, Dad," I said in a mock accusing voice as I pushed the can into his vacant hand.

He stared at the beer can for a moment and a light blush crept into his cheeks as he realized his failed attempt at being a peeping-tom.

I turned around and headed toward the stairs but he stopped me before I made it out of the room.

"I meant what I said about you getting pregnant,

I rolled my eyes, "Goodnight, Dad."

* * *

OMG, I'm taking so long to update lately. I'm sorry I'm sorry.

This chapter was kind of short and possibly a little bit fail, but the next chapter is going to cover a lot more.

I'll update within two weeks this time. I PROMISE! SEND ME HATE MAIL IF I DON'T, KTHNX.


	14. Chapter 14

EPOV

I arrived home just as Jasper was leaving. I spoke with him for a moment and he said that Esme had just gotten home and warned me that Alice was waiting to bombard me with questions.

No one knew what I had done today, but they knew that it had to do with Bella. Esme didn't ask me direct questions. She greeted me when I walked in and asked me how my day was and if anything interesting happened. I dodged her subtle inquiries to the best of my ability and finally escaped to the staircase. All I really wanted was to be in my room alone and reflect on what had happened.

No luck.

Alice was waiting for me at the top of the stairs.

Despite the good mood that the evening had left me with, somehow knowing that Alice was going to bombard me with questions until she was satisfied made me angry. I just wanted to be alone. I didn't want to discuss what had happened tonight until I had been able to fully wrap my head around it myself.

"And where have you been?" she grinned knowingly.

"The North Pole," I replied icily, hoping that she would take the hint and just let me be for a while.

"How's Bella doing?" Alice continued.

"She's fine." I made for my bedroom door but she blocked my attempts.

"Out kind of late, weren't you? Emmett said you left Rose's at 4. Where have you been?"

I glared at her for a moment before finally caving. "I was invited to Bella's house for supper."

She gasped, "With the Police Chief and everything?"

"Yes, Alice, that was kind of the point."

"Oh my _God,_" she continued, clutching at her chest melodramatically. "So he knows then? You told her dad?"

"Yes, Alice," I said again, growing more and more impatient.

"So it really is official then?" she bounced excitedly, grinning.

"Yes, Alice. Now if you don't mind, I would like to-" I tried to shoulder my way past her but she stopped me again.

"Wait, wait, wait- just one more question-" she pleaded.

"No," I snapped. "No more questions."

I finally managed to push my way around her and into my room, trying to shut the door before she could sneak in after me.

"Edward," she whined, sticking her elbow in between the door and the wall so that I couldn't close it. "Alice," I snapped, "You're my sister and I love you, but sometimes you really need to learn how to take a hint. I would like to be alone right n-"

"FINE," she growled, cutting me off. I heard her stomp away down the hallway muttering something about 'ungratefulness' and 'kick his ass'. I smiled to myself. We had a good relationship, Alice and I. She annoyed the shit out of me quite often, but I knew she meant well when it came down to it.

The rest of the evening dragged by slowly. I paced around my room for close to an hour, not knowing how to otherwise occupy my mind. I finally seated myself in front of the piano. For several long moments I did not play anything. I stared over the top of the piano and out the great window into the woods surrounding our home. It was a beautiful night in Forks. The weather had somehow managed to remain as nice as it had been in the afternoon and there was not a cloud in the sky. The moon was brighter than I had remembered seeing it in years and it cast a milky glow over the yard, illuminating a doe drinking from the pond.

Slowly, I moved my fingers to the smooth white keys in front of me. They positioned themselves without any concentration on my part and before I knew it, "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds was echoing around the room. I smiled as I listened to the music, still not looking down at the cool keys that my fingers were expertly gliding over. The doe by the pond picked up her head attentively and glanced toward the house, her ears suddenly standing erect, listening. She seemed to look directly at my room for several moments before craning her elegant neck back toward the water, seemingly finding no threat in my music.

Close to the second chorus of the song, the music began to subtly change. The same sweet melody was there, but my fingers began disregarding certain notes that should have been present in the song and adding different ones until it was no longer the same tune at all. The changes barely registered in my mind at all, though. I wasn't really focusing on the piano. I was thinking about Bella Swan.

I was thinking about the way she would constantly tuck her beautiful brown hair behind her ear only to have it fall out a moment later to once again frame her pale skinned face. I was considering the length of her eyelashes that paid great compliment to the depthless, chocolate brown pools of her eyes. I recalled Alice complaining about how her own eyelashes never looked that perfect no matter how long she spent focusing on them with a mascara brush. I recalled how Bella's eyelids had fluttered ever so subtly as she had slept the night before. I remembered how I could feel her pulse thundering as I had leaned forward to kiss her on the front steps earlier this afternoon.

It had been without a doubt the best kiss I had ever experienced. Never before had I felt the same power and attraction behind another person's lips. It had always been the same with the other girls. Never anything special. They had always seemed far more interested in kissing than I ever was, and I had always just expected that it was something wrong with me. Now I was considering that perhaps it had been the girls. None of them were right. They didn't fit. Something about the way Bella's lips moved against mine was so different. So much better than I had ever…

I shook my head and stood up from the piano. I crossed to the window and looked out at the surrounding woods. At my movement, the doe near the pond jerked its head up and focused in on me. It seemed to contemplate for a moment before turning and quickly bounding toward the woods. I noted the grace with which it moved. In the moonlight, I could just make out the muscles in its legs constricting with each fluent movement.

"Edward?" A soft knock at my door drew my attention away from the deer. I turned to face the door as my mother let herself in.

"Are you hungry? You didn't come down for supper. Alice said you-"

"I already ate," I supplied.

"Oh, right.." she said quietly. I could tell that she wanted to ask, but didn't anyway.

"I had dinner with Bella and her father at her home," I answered her unasked question.

A bright smile spread across her face. "Oh."

She stared at me for a few more moments with the gawky smile on her face before recovering. "How is chief Swan?"

"He's…" I hesitated, "He seems okay."

"How did he… you know," her eyes narrowed inquiringly.

"It was awkward, but altogether it wasn't too bad."

"That's good," she nodded, the smile returning to her face. "Well, we're going to watch a movie and have some popcorn, if you'd like to join us…"

"Oh, um…"

"It'll help distract you," she winked knowingly.

"Yeah, that sounds good. If Alice bugs me though, I'm going to hang her off the coat hanger by her underwear."

"Not again," Esme groaned, throwing her arm around my shoulder as we walked downstairs.

--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~--~~

The rest of the weekend passed by at an excruciatingly slow pace.

I found myself awake and ready for school a good forty-five minutes earlier than usual. My mother had that same knowing smile in her eyes as she took out a few extra eggs for breakfast. Normally I was never awake in time to eat. I valued sleep more in the mornings than nourishment. A granola bar in the car usually sufficed, but I had awoken long before my alarm had gone off.

I couldn't justify to myself why I was so anxious to get to school. I knew that it was going to be much more painful than I wanted. No one was likely to have forgotten what had happened at Tanya's party, and the news would spread like wildfire to everyone who hadn't been present. It would be almost unbearable to watch them gawking at Bella and whispering behind their hands without being able to stand beside her and distract her from their cruel attention. I knew that Bella was perfectly capable of handling it herself, but it would have made me feel less like a jerk if I was able to support her. I knew, though, that I would have to keep my distance in the hallways and at lunch. If nothing else, I was anxious for the one class in which I would be sitting next to her. Even if I had to pretend that we weren't really talking anymore, it would have to be enough just being that close to her.

"Morning mo-" Alice halted in the doorway as she noticed me.

"Oh my God, look who decided to join us," she grinned.

"Morning, Alice." I said through gritted teeth, a note of warning in my voice.

Despite the glint of mischievousness in her eyes, she didn't do anything Alice-like through breakfast. In fact, she was surprisingly quiet. She didn't speak to me at all, in fact, until we left the house and headed to our separate vehicles.

"Are you seriously going to ignore her all day?"

"Alice, don't-"

"I'm just saying, Edward. Don't you think it would be easier if you…"

"If I what, went around holding her hand all day? Alice, they're going to stare regardless, but they'll stare less if there isn't anything to look _at_."

"So what if they stare, though?"

"Bella doesn't like being the center of attention. It makes her nervous. I want to make her as comfortable as possible."

"Okay," she said exasperatedly.

"Listen, I know that you think that I'm being stupid and this whole idea is just-"

"On the contrary," she interrupted. "I think that you are being quite valiant. I think it's Bella that's being stupid."

I shot her a pointed look.

"If I were Bella, I would want to make sure that everyone knew that I was with you. Embarrassment be damned."

My face must have displayed my confusion because she glanced at me once and went on.

"I mean, if the school thinks you're still single, all the girls are going to keep throwing themselves on you. That's bound to get to her… whether she'll admit it or not."

"Well Alice, what do you suggest I do?"

"I can't suggest anything. This is on Bella. She needs to make this decision, obviously. I don't think it will take long though, after she see's the girls stepping into her territory unknowingly."

I dug my keys out of my pocket and unlocked my car as she stepped around to her own.

"We'll see," I shrugged.

School went by just as slowly as I had expected. Every time our paths crossed in the hallways, she averted her eyes. But not before I caught the subtle smile that crept across her lips. After which I would spend the next full hour thinking about those lips instead of focusing on the teachers lectures or the homework that I was doing. At lunch, I sat at a different table than Tanya. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett all joined me. Tanya looked enraged at first, but after a few moments, Kate and Irina ended up following her to the jock table, where she spent the rest of the lunch period tangled in James' arms. Even at the site of him I felt the blood boil beneath my skin. Alice noted the direction of my furious stare and distracted me by telling me about the lab in Bio that day. That news gave me some reprieve from my anger. A lab meant that I would have to interact with Bella. Even if in a way as innocent as that.

Luckily, during the class period that followed lunch, I was able to slip a note to Bella. I wrote on the corner of my lab notes - _Still coming to my house after school?_

I pointed it out to her, feigning that I was simply asking a work related question. She bit her lip and nodded, hiding her smile quickly. I found myself thinking about her lips yet again as I erased the words and continued with the lab work, asking questions that I knew the answer to just to hear her voice.

Tanya repeatedly glanced back at us, a look of vicious loathing in her eyes. She was suspicious of something, but she also seemed more confused than anything. I could almost hear her thoughts just by looking at her. _He's been avoiding her all day, how could being her lab partner be worse than being my lab partner?_

I smirked down at my notes. If only Tanya knew. I glanced nonchalantly over at Bella who was scrutinizing her notes carefully, scribbling something that I couldn't decipher in her cute chicken scratch handwriting.

After school was finished, I left the school by myself, passing Alice and Jasper who were deep in conversation in the hallway. I waited in my vehicle until I saw Bella leave the building. I saw her eyes scan the parking lot until she spotted me waiting in my car. A smile crept across her face as she angled her head down, pushing the hair that fell around her face back behind her ear with one hand as the other hand searched for her keys. I waited until she was inside of her truck to start me own car and back out of the parking space. She started her truck and fell into the line of cars waiting to exit the parking lot one car behind my own.

It would have been so much easier if she could have just gotten into my vehicle with me, but I knew that it would draw far too much attention. For the briefest moment, I saw a scene played out in my mind where Bella met me at my car after school and slipped her hand into my own. I pictured myself leaning back against my car as she leaned into me, wrapping her other hand around my neck and kissing me right there in the school parking lot in front of all the people we were trying so hard to fool right now.

I was started back to reality by the car behind me honking their horn impatiently. I inhaled sharply and looked around. I hadn't realized that the three vehicles in front of me were gone already. I probably looked like an ass. I quickly stepped on the accelerator and left the parking lot, going slow enough on the main road so that Bella could follow me. She had been to my house before, but it was kind of hard to find the first few times.

A moment of exhilaration washed through me as I realized that Bella was coming over to my home _again_. After everything that had happened, after all the stares she had been scrutinized by all day long… she was still right behind me. Still willing.

I saw in my rearview mirror a car emerge from behind Bella's truck. It jumped into the other lane and sped past her. I knew without even studying the vehicle who was behind the wheel. Alice sped past me as well, honking in acknowledgement as she went. I chuckled aloud to myself. Alice might be quite fond of Bella, but she slowed down for no one. Not even her own boyfriend, who I could now see trailing behind Bella's ancient red truck. Jasper, however, made no move to pass the wheezing truck's 55 mile an hour limit.

"Always the gentleman," I noted out loud. It was hard for me to limit my own speed, even for my own girlfriend. He had no obligation to, but he did so anyhow.

Several minutes later, I pulled into my driveway, followed closely by Bella and Jasper. Alice's vehicle was already parked in her usual spot. No doubt she had already alerted Esme that I was bringing Bella back home.

I jumped out of my car and slung my backpack over my shoulder. I waited for Bella as she did the same, closely followed by Jasper.

"What's homework lookin' like?" Jasper asked as he walked toward the path leading up to the front door.

"Bio and English," I replied.

"I've just got Bio and a little Psych. Hi Bella," he added as he passed her and headed up the pathway.

"Hi," Bella smiled shyly, following my lead as I trailed behind Jasper.

I held open the front door for her and she smiled again, biting her lip a little as she shimmied past me. I followed behind her and promptly offered to take her jacket.

"Thanks," she said quietly, shifting her backpack to the opposite shoulder as she removed her jacket and handed it to me.

"Hey!" my mother greeted breathlessly as she approached us from the laundry room down the hall. "How was school?"

"Fine," Jasper and I answered simultaneously.

"Hi, Bella. How are you?" she continued, shifting the laundry basket on her hip.

"I'm… I'm alright." Bella stammered.

Esme threw her another warm smile and then turned back to me. "I'm making shrimp fettuccini for dinner tonight. Don't fill up on snacks."

"Awesome," I nodded approvingly. Shrimp fettuccini was my favorite meal, but only when Esme made it.

"Bella, are you going to join us for dinner tonight?" she asked brightly, turning back to Bella.

"Oh… no, I… thank you for the offer, Mrs. Cullen, but I don't want to impose again."

"Call me Esme, please," my mother chuckled lightheartedly. "Mrs. Cullen is so formal." She made a face. "And it is no imposition at all. We would love to have you stay."

"Seriously, Bella," Jasper chimed in. "I eat dinner here more often than I eat at my own home."

Bella hesitated, contemplating. "I really should go home so that I can cook for my dad," she said quietly. Her tone suggested that she would very much like someone to argue and give her a reason to stay. Of course, my mother was only too happy to oblige.

"Well then, I guess it's fortunate that I always make way too much food anyway and a lot of it goes to waste because _someone_," she jabbed me in the ribs and winked, "never likes to eat leftovers. You can certainly take a plate home to Charlie if you would like. It's totally up to you, though, hon," Esme reasoned.

"I'll call him when he's back from work," Bella nodded.

"Great," Esme winked at her. "Alice is already at the breakfast table in the kitchen doing her homework," she informed us. And with that, she turned and headed back to the laundry room, leaving us alone in the entry way.

Bella began removing her shoes my stepping on the heel and trying to pull her foot out of them. I noticed her technique because that's the same way I took off my own shoes. I never wanted to waste the time untying them. Because I was paying attention, however, I noticed when her arms flew out as she tried to regain her balance. Despite her efforts, she began to tumble forward. I reacted quickly, reaching out and circling my hands around her waist, righting her as quickly as I could as Jasper stifled an amused laugh.

Her cheeks flushed and she grimaced, "Sorry."

I smiled. "For what? Being klutzy?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "You'll find it happens a lot with me."

"That's okay, I've got pretty good reflexes," I teased, smiling a little as I caught her gaze.

Jasper shifted uncomfortably and then silently excused himself as Bella and I continued to stare at each other. Her eyes were searching my own. For what, I wasn't sure.

"What do you have for homework?" I finally asked.

She blinked several times as if being drawn from some trance. "Oh, um… Bio and Math," she said quietly.

"You didn't finish the bio lab either?"

"No, I was…" she shot me a look. "distracted."

"Sorry," I shrugged.

"For?"

"For being so _distracting_," I said teasingly, to which she responded with a roll of her eyes.

I suddenly realized that my hands were still around her waist and I quickly released her, moving one hand to comb through my hair like I always did when I was nervous or embarrassed. I groped behind me for my backpack with the other hand. Once I found it, I gestured toward the kitchen with a nod of my head and she turned to walk with me.

Alice and Jasper were sitting on one side of the table with their books open. Both were working on a psychology assignment together, so I figured Bella and I might as well finish out Biology.

She nodded in agreement when I suggested it to her and we both sat down and extracted our lab folders from our backpacks. We worked in silence for a while, only exchanging an occasional note or asking for confirmation on an answer from time to time. Bella ended up finishing with hers long before I was finished, and was half way through her math assignment before I was done.

She let out a frustrated sigh and punched some buttons on her calculator with excessive force.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," she shook her head, "math and I don't get along very well."

"Do you need help?"

"I just keep getting a different answer on this one when I check it." She pointed her finger at a question on the paper in front of her.

I leaned closer to her, catching a whiff of strawberry shampoo as I squinted at her handwriting. "Oh," I said suddenly, recognizing the equation from class earlier in the day, "See, this one is kind of a trick question," I explained. "It's too vague, so you can't really simplify it past x over y is equal to thirty-six. You don't have enough information."

"Oh," she frowned. "Well that was painfully and embarrassingly obvious."

"I had to ask Mrs. Schmidt in class," I winked. "Don't feel bad."

She smiled at me. "Thanks."

I nodded but held her stare. For the second time that afternoon, I was lost in her eyes.

"How's the homework going?" Esme asked, tying an apron around her waist as she entered the kitchen.

Bella started and inhaled sharply, pulled back to reality by my mother's sudden entrance. She turned back to her homework with a slight flush in her cheeks.

"Fine," I replied, not looking away from Bella even though she was now looking down at the table.

"Speak for yourself," Alice piped up from across the table. "This English is kicking my butt."

"What are you working on?" Bella asked.

"That stupid grammar worksheet," my sister groaned, defeated.

"The one where you have to identify the errors?" I asked, finally turning away from Bella.

"Yes. Clearly I don't read enough books. Everything looks right to me," she sighed.

"Lame," I teased. "I had that worksheet done in ten minutes."

"Well you're an English freak slash book nerd," she retorted in a tone that I half expected would be accompanied by her sticking out her tongue at me.

"Play nice," my mother called over her shoulder as she dug through the refrigerator.

"Want me to help you?" Bella offered.

"I doubt I'll get it," Alice groaned. "Jazz has been trying to help me for the last twenty minutes."

Bella smiled and pulled her chair over to the other side of Alice's and began explaining every error on the page in great detail.

I returned my attention to the other English assignment. I knew it wouldn't take me long, so I let myself listen to Bella's voice as explained the different rules of grammar to Alice. I offered some input every now and then when Alice didn't seem to understand. I got so wrapped up in Bella's voice, though, that Alice finished her assignment before I did.

"Thanks, Bella," Alice grinned as she closed her book. "I'm going to go watch TV," she decided, standing up from the table with Jasper close behind her.

Bella brought her chair back around to the other side of the table and quickly finished up on her last math problem while I finished my English paper and packed up my backpack.

"Do you need help with anything?" Bella called over to my mother. Esme turned from the boiling pot of noodles and gave Bella a grateful smile.

"No, no, no. Don't worry about me. Go ahead and watch TV with Al and Jasper," she waved her hand in dismissal.

Bella turned back to look at me and I wagged my head in the direction of the living room, gesturing toward the sudden noise of the television set.

I cleared my throat as we entered the living room. Alice and Jasper started and pulled away from each other.

"Get a room," I groaned, sitting down on the opposite couch and making a face at my sister.

"Shut up," Alice retorted, throwing the remote control across the room at me. I deflected it from hitting my in the face and picked it up, pretending to throw it back at Alice. She flinched and threw her hands up to protect her face. I smirked, the remote still in my hand. I spun it once and aimed it toward the TV.

"Thanks," I winked at her as I pressed the channel select button. Bella giggled and took a seat next to me.

"Hey, I was watching that!" Alice protested.

I smiled wider and ignored her complaint. I scrolled through the channel guide for several moments before I stopped on the ABC family channel and turned to Bella as if to question her opinion.

"I love Gilmore Girls," she smiled brightly.

"Me to," I replied as I pressed enter.

"Rerun," Alice noted aloud several seconds later.

I rolled my eyes and ignored her again. It only took a few minutes before she returned her attention to Jasper. I glanced over at them and felt a familiar pang of jealousy. Jasper's fingers were entwined in Alice's and their eyes were locked. Alice pressed her forehead against Jasper's as I watched her lips open and mouth three silent yet unmistakable words. I quickly averted my gaze, my heart nearly bursting with longing.

How long would it take until Bella and I were at that point? How long until she would feel comfortable displaying affection like that in front of other people?

I was staring blankly at the television, not really paying any attention to the comical exchange between Lorelai and Rory on the screen. My mind was in dream land again.

I plunged back into reality as I felt Bella, who obviously had been following the witty exchange on TV, laughing silently beside me. I saw her head turn toward me out of the corner of my eye as I jumped. I returned the glance. She gave me sweet smile and went back to watching the television. I kept watching her for a moment more, noticing how her eyes darted away from the TV screen and stared blankly into space for a moment as if she was thinking about something unrelated. She bit her lip, which I noticed she seemed to do often, and then suddenly, I felt her hand slip into mine. The corners of my mouth tightened in an irrepressibly smile. She glanced at me once more, the same slight smirk playing on her lips and a subtle but beautiful blush spreading through her cheeks.

It was not as if we hadn't held hands before, but still, my stomach was suddenly overpopulated with a highly active cavalcade of butterflies. I felt almost giddy with excitement. It was completely pathetic. How was it that Bella could have such an intense power over me? Would I ever be able to behave normally when something like this happened? Or was I doomed to forever feel like a silly school boy whenever she showed me any sign of affection?

Regardless, I wasn't going to complain.

BPOV ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As the weeks went on, I found myself spending almost every out-of-school moment with Edward. Oddly enough, we had our evening schedules planned out around my father's work schedule.

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday when he worked late, I went over to Edward's house and had dinner with his family and then brought back leftovers. I felt bad about that for a while, but none of Edward's family seemed to mind at all. In fact, Jasper was over there more often than I was. He was practically a member of their family already. On Tuesday and Thursday, Charlie came home from work at around 5. On those days, Edward almost always accompanied me to my house after school and we did homework together while I was cooking for Charlie. Sometimes Edward would stay to eat with us, sometimes he wouldn't. It mainly depended on Charlie's mood that day.

With the amount of time we were spending together outside the wall of Forks High, things became more and more effortless for Edward and I. I felt more myself around him than I ever expected I would feel around another person. But the closer we got outside of school, the harder I found it to stay away from him _in_ school.

I was relieved that the stares had finally gone away. I was no longer the topic of gossip in the school. I was back to being a nobody. I liked being a nobody to most people… but I no longer liked being a nobody as far as Edward was concerned. I knew, of course, that I wasn't a nobody to him… but he did his best to pretend otherwise while we were in school. I was almost embarrassed for asking him to keep this a secret. If I had just let things play out… let the school know we were a couple… the stares probably would have died down by now anyway. Now, when it finally did come out, which at this point there was no denying that it eventually would, it would be a big shock again. It would be made even bigger of a deal by the fact that we had been hiding it for the last month and a half.

I jumped as my phone buzzed in my pocket. I looked around the cafeteria to make sure that no one was paying attention to me before I discreetly took it out and looked at the new text message.

_You're really pretty. ;) - Edward_

I felt myself blush as I crammed the phone back into my pocket. I glance over towards Edward's table quickly to see him staring down at the table with what could possibly have been a smile on his face.

He had recently taken to texting me during the school day. I usually had my phone off, but now I made sure it was always on, in my pocket, and set to silent or vibrate. I felt a flourish of butterflies in my stomach and I smiled to myself, reveling in this personal victory of mine.

It was so foreign to me… the thought that Edward was… well, mine. The thought that Edward _wanted_ me… it was something so absurd to me that I had trouble believing it myself sometimes.

The lunch bell rang and I quickly deposited my scarcely touched food into the trash can and quickly fell into the line of students heading to their next class. My next class just so happened to be with Edward… which may or may not have added to my haste.

Unfortunately, Mr. Banner provided us with plenty of work today, as he usually did on Fridays. We were instructed to do a 100 question chapter review without any help from other students… which meant no talking.

After many failed attempts at communicating with him during Bio, the rest of the day was equally Edward-less and boring until the final bell rang and I made my way to the parking lot.

He was waiting, like every day before, leaned up against his Volvo. When I exited the building, he got into his car and started it up, knowing that I would be right behind him. He didn't have to wait for me anymore, I knew where his house was by now… but still, as soon as I pulled onto his road I saw him a few yards ahead driving painfully slowly until I caught up with him. At which point he would speed up, but only to the 55 miles an hour my truck was capable of driving at.

Neither of us had any leftover work to do from school, so we greeted Esme and answered her questions about our day in school, and at the first possible moment, we excused ourselves to the living room. We always turned on ABC Family and waited for Gilmore Girls to come on, entertaining ourselves with random conversation until then.

It was amazing to consider how much things had changed since the first time I had come home with him after school. At that point, I had to spend several minutes working up the courage just to take his hand. Now, we fell into the same position every afternoon. He would sit on the left, and I would sit beside him on the right with his arm around my shoulders and sometimes even my head resting on his shoulder. On occasion, when I was particularly exhausted, I would lie on the couch and rest my head in his lap. When that happened, I usually caught him staring at me instead of the TV several times throughout the one hour episode and I often found myself wondering what he was thinking. In one instance, I had asked him. He responded "I'm thinking about how lucky I am."

I smiled at the memory and readjusted my head against his shoulder as the end credits came up on the screen. Alice and Jasper had long since retired to Alice's room where they claimed to be watching movies.

"Hey Ed," Esme poked her head into the living room. "The roast is taking a little longer to cook than I thought, so it's probably going to be an extra half-hour until dinner, okay?"

"Okay mom, we'll be up in my room."

"Okay, be good," she winked as she disappeared back into the kitchen.

I turned my head up and looked at him. He turned back and asked, "Do you mind? There's never anything good on at this time on TV."

"I… yeah, that's fine," I nodded my head trying to hide my sudden anxiety. The last time I had been up in his room… I had been sleeping in his bed.

He squeezed my shoulder and got up, holding out his hand to me. I took it gingerly and allowed him to lead me up the stairs. I didn't allow myself to jump to conclusions. I forced myself to calm down and relax as we reached the top of the stairs and headed toward his bedroom door.

Once inside, he hesitated before dropping my hand and heading over to the couch against the wall. He sunk down into the cushions with a sigh and patted the seat next to him. I sat down and resumed my previous position, leaning against him.

"I guess it was kind of pointless to come up here," he chuckled. "There really isn't much to do anywhere. Why didn't you ever tell me how boring my house is," he joked.

"Your house isn't boring," I argued. "I like it here."

"Am I boring?" he asked quietly, looking down at me with a raised eyebrow.

"No," I laughed.

"Am I interesting?"

"Usually," I allowed.

"Hmm," he hummed, leaning his head back against the back of the couch.

I let my eyes scan the room slowly, taking in the book cases and stacks of CD's until I focused in on the piano.

"How often do you play?" I gestured toward the piano with my head.

"Pretty much every night," he answered without even looking to where I had pointed.

"Oh," I said simply, letting it drop.

We sat in silence for several moments before he decisively pushed himself up from the couch, grabbing my hand and pulling me along with him as he headed over to the piano bench.

He opened the lid on the shiny black grand piano and revealed the glossy row of ivory keys. I felt a smile cover my face before he even started playing.

"Any requests?" he asked, placing his fingers on the keys lightly.

"Play something pretty," I smiled.

"Nothing I play will be pretty to me," he said softly, his eyes locked onto mine.

"Why?"

"Because you're it's competition."

I opened my mouth to reply, but no words would form. I ended up staring open mouthed at him for several seconds until he took the initiative and began playing.

My mouth fell open further as the notes echoed around the room. It didn't take me long to recognize the main melody as that of "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds. The first time I was in this room, the last memory I had was of him singing me to sleep with this same song. I slowly closed my mouth and focused on his elegant fingers slowly flowing over the keys. People who could play the piano always fascinated me. To have that much coordination must have been truly amazing. God knows _I _wasn't gifted with that talent.

As I listened to the beautiful notes that haunted the atmosphere around me, something new began to come over me. I felt a raw heat bubble up from my core, spreading through my limbs until I couldn't ignore it any longer. I felt a longing. I felt… desire. Before I knew what had come over me, I had thrown myself at him, abruptly halting the music. I pressed my lips firmly to his and closed my eyes as he kissed me back.

Snapping back to my senses I pulled back, feeling the heat take over my face completely.

"Sorry," I apologized breathily.

"What?" he choked out.

"I'm…." I trailed off.

"Sorry?" he repeated, incredulous.

"I don't know what came over me," I whispered.

"Bella, don't apologize for that," he shook his head.

I looked down at my hands as I twisted them around the hem of my shirt.

"Hey," he whispered, placing his finger under my chin and lifting it until I was looking into his eyes.

"Don't apologize," he repeated as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine again, but briefly. I pursed my lips and nodded my understanding. His hand raised from the keys and cupped my cheek softly. I leaned my head into his hand and he rubbed small circles on my cheek with his thumb.

"Bella," he started, his eyes narrowing as he looked deeper into my eyes. "Can I," he suddenly averted his eyes quickly and then glanced back up, "can I kiss you?"

"You just did," I smiled.

"No, I mean…. can I really kiss you?"

"Oh," I felt my eyes widen. "I don't… I don't know how."

"Yes you do," a corner of his mouth pulled up into a heart-stopping half smile as he leaned forward, capturing my lips beneath his own. He pressed his lips into mine several times, letting them move together as I mimicked his motions with my own. Slowly, he started to press his lips in between mine and open them, gently coaxing me to part my lips.

I was surprised to find how naturally it was coming to me, kissing him like this. It was as if his lips were the puzzle piece to my own, as lame as that sounded in my head. It just… fit.

His other hand moved to the other side of my face as he continued to kiss me. I felt his tongue linger just outside of my parted lips and I felt his hand fist into my hair. I reached forward with my hands, searching for purchase on anything I can find. I clutched at his shirt and pulled him closer to me as I pressed my tongue against his in a moment of pure bravery.

I grew braver and more sure of myself as the kiss deepened and I realized in that moment how much harder school was going to be from this point forward.

Suddenly, (although it might have been ten minutes later for all I knew. I had lost track of time) he pulled away from me, leaning his forehead against mine, his breathing deep. "Are you still sorry?" he chuckled.

I laughed out loud. "No, I'm not sorry at all."

* * *

I'm so so so so so so so so so so so so so infinitely sorry about the delay. Life happened all at once. I was dealing with school stuff and I got a new job (Bath and Body works :) ) and I've been having personal issues that left me with little motivation to do anything for a while.

I'll get back into the swing of things soon enough. My goal is to get this story done before NaNoWriMo in November. FINGERS CROSSED

Thank you all for sticking with me through the ridiculous absence of posting. Again, I'm extremely sorry!

and I apologize if Edward seemed kind of... fruity in this chapter. One of my beta's told me that and I laughed for a long time, but essentially I don't really think anything I could do really fixed it. MY BAD

speaking of Beta's, Kaitlyn and Stephanie are boss when it comes to betaing. They are the cheese to my literary macaroni. End juno quotes.

:)


	15. Chapter 15

BPOV

"Your assignment for the weekend is to plan out a model of how you would use recycling to benefit the earth," Mr. Banner said matter-of-factly. "You have to present it to the class on Wednesday. I'll give you Monday and Tuesday to complete it in class if you need to. Otherwise you can do the project on your own time over the weekend. No exceptions," he finished.

Several hands shot into the air and he smiled, "Let me guess: can you do the project with a partner?"

Every last one of the hands slowly lowered. "I'm thinking… probably not," he faked a grimace.

A loud and resounding grumble of protest made it's way throughout the classroom and he made a face at us. "Alright, alright," he held out his hands. "Because this is the recycling wrap up project… I'll let you work with a partner." The class erupted with happy sighs and a few loud cheers, drowning out his follow up statement of "But just one partner!"

"Alright, settle down, settle down," he held out his hands again as if he was calming the red seas themselves instead of a group of rowdy teenagers. "I'll even make one more allowance. You don't _have_ to work with your regular biology partner."

Several grunts of approval and a few hushed whispers floated through the room, displaying my fellow students' overall appreciation of Mr. Banner's allowances. I, however, did not share their excitement. If we were allowed to pair with people outside of our assigned lab partners… it would definitely raise suspicion if Edward and I worked as a pair anyway.

Tanya turned in her seat and faced Edward with a bawdy smile. She pointed at him and then at herself and mouthed the word 'Partners'.

I glanced at Edward out of the corner of my eye. His brow furrowed and he scrunched up his face to display his disinterest. He shook his head and looked down at his notebook, ignoring her then.

Tanya's face fell and her hand shot up into the air.

"Yes?" Mr. Banner called on her.

"Can we partner with people from other classes."

"Are you asking, Ms. Edington, if you may partner with James from my second hour class?"

You had to hand it to Mr. Banner. He was very up on the latest school gossip.

She didn't respond.

He hesitated, staring at her for several moments before sighing, "I suppose you can partner with students from other classes, _but_, if you chose to do that, you must give your presentation alone as I can not pull them out of their regularly scheduled classes for that. And you'll have to use out-of-class time to finish the project for the same reason."

She nodded once and then looked down at her notebook, anger still covering her face like an ugly mask.

I jumped a little as Edward nonchalantly tapped me on my wrist. I looked down as he slid a piece of notebook paper toward me. I unfolded and quickly read it.

_At exactly 2:35, ask for a pass and go to the bathroom. _

I frowned and sent him a confused glance before taking out my pencil to respond. I hadn't even touched it to the paper yet when the bell rang signaling the end of class. He got up and piled his books and folder into his arms before heading for the door. Still confused, I followed suit. I had no idea why he was scheduling me a bathroom trip, but I trusted him.

I smiled to myself as the thought echoed in my head.

_I trusted him_.

I wasn't sure when that had happened, really. I was a very untrusting type of person. One year ago if someone had told me that the one person I would trust fully in my entire high school career would be Edward Cullen, I might have laughed in their face. But it happened. I trusted him.

I could guess that it happened sometime within the last week. Exactly seven days prior had been the first time I had really, really kissed Edward. Not just a wimpy peck type of kiss… but full on kiss. My first actual kiss.

If someone had told me that Edward Cullen would be my first real kiss, let alone my first real boyfriend, I would have instructed them to get their head checked. The idea that was once unfathomable was now my everyday reality.

We had followed that kiss up with several more in the following week. I had realized something the first night that I had … well… made-out with him as I lay awake being too excited to sleep. The reason that the thought of making out with someone had always scared me was not so much that I was afraid I would be bad at it. It turned out I wasn't really bad at it at all. What had sent up that subconscious red flag was the significance of such actions. For some reason I had it in my mind that making out would only lead to having sex, and that was something I was certainly not yet ready for. In the past week however, I had realized that Edward was different. Not once did he ever try to do something that I wasn't ready for. Hell, he usually asked before he even kissed me! Never did he try to cop a feel or push things past the point of just kissing. He was a perfect gentleman. Had I known that perfect gentlemen existed, there's a chance that I would not have been such a social recluse in all of my school years prior.

We had just gotten started on our assignment in my 6th hour class when the clock finally hit 2:35. I got sudden butterflies in my stomach as I pushed myself out of my seat and headed to the front of the class. I rationalized with myself that I was being absurd. I had asked for a bathroom pass hundreds of times in my life, why was I so nervous about this one? I knew it was because I had no faith in my acting capabilities. No matter how hard I tried, my true intentions were always scribbled all over my face in very florescent colors. People could always tell when I was lying.

"Yes, Ms. Swan?" Mrs. Balmer asked without looking up.

"I, uh…can I please have a pass to use the restroom?" I asked quickly.

"Mmmhm," she nodded, still not looking up.

"Thanks," I whispered, quickly, grabbing the little key on a ribbon off of the hook on the wall beside her desk and heading quickly for the door.

In our school, bathroom passes were a number of different objects. Mr. Banner always had us use this spray painted, fake, golden onion. In Gym class, it was a flag from tag football. Mrs. Balmer was a very… pink type of teacher. Her room was always neat and smelled like roses and her favorite color was pink. If you handed any assignment in on paper that was pink or scented, she would give you automatic extra credit. So her bathroom pass was a pink, fake key (that strongly resembled a child's toy) on an ornate pink ribbon. Most people put it around their neck, but I refused to have something that looked that prissy around my neck. I held it in my hand.

The point of a hall pass was, I guess, to show that you had permission to be in the hallway. At one point I suppose there had been some kind of a hall monitor to make sure students weren't in the hall between classes, but those were long since gone. Probably eliminated in some staff cut to save money. This school was infamous for being really cheap. For some reason, though, the hall passes never went away.

I stepped into the hallway and quietly closed the door behind me. I started in the direction of the girl's bathroom, still lost in thoughts of Edward's lips and body and face, forgetting to even consider the real reason behind this impromptu bathroom trip. As it was Friday, that meant that there was only one more class left before I got to leave and go to Edwards house and spend the evening burying my face in his and kissing him.

I neared the corner to go into the girls bathroom and was about to turn toward it when suddenly, I _was_ kissing him. I didn't know exactly how it had happened. One moment I was walking toward the little alcove where the bathrooms were located, and the next I had been jerked sideways into the little hidden area where the drinking fountains were. I had almost fallen over from the shock of it, but two strong hands had gripped my upper arms and steadied me, all without drawing any of his attention away from my lips. It didn't take me long to figure out that this had been Edward's plan all along. I reached forward until the tips of my fingers found his beige sweater. I clutched at it and pulled him closer to me as his hands ran down the length of my arms and sought purchase along my waist line. I was suddenly very aware that I was kissing him in the middle of school. _In_ school. Fear gripped at my heart for a moment, but melted away quickly as he deepened the kiss. It felt almost exhilarating to be defying the rules like this. In this little tucked away nook, no one could have seen us unless they were standing directly across from it in the hallway. But that could have happened. At any moment someone could have walked past and witnessed Edward Cullen and Bella Swan in a lip lock. Had it been a teacher, I probably would have been in a great deal of trouble. Both of us would have been. Detention at the least… maybe even a multiple day suspension at worst. The idea of that alone should have been enough to make me stop, but I didn't find that near as terrifying as the thought of a student finding us. It would be all over the school in ten minutes, tops. However, despite both of those risks, I didn't care. Nothing else mattered at that moment than his lips moving in completely synchronized motions against mine.

I let out a long exhale of breath as he pulled away from me, his eyes bright with the same emotions I was feeling. Exhilaration, rebelliousness, want.

"I've been wanting to do that all day," he breathed.

"I would not be opposed to doing that _all day_," I replied.

He smiled at me and kissed my forehead once before peeking out into the hallway and making sure the coast was clear. "See you after school?"

I nodded and grinned back at him. He was about to leave when I grabbed his shirt and pulled him back for one last fleeting kiss to last me for the next hour.

He headed back toward class, throwing an unreadable glance over his shoulder as he went. I thought he had winked at me, but I couldn't be sure. I decided to quickly go to the bathroom anyhow. Not so much because I had to go, but because I needed to collect myself. I'm sure Mrs. Balmer would have noticed if I came back into the room looking flushed and breathless. I stared into the mirror for several seconds, willing myself to stop smiling so hard. No one should look this elated after visiting the bathroom. It wasn't normal.

I brushed my hair out of my face and took several deep breaths, staring back at my reflection. I barely recognized the girl in the mirror anymore. I was… happy. I was happy all the time. I smiled more than I ever had before. I sang in the shower now and I danced to the music I listened to when I was alone in my room. I was a different Bella… but I was still the same. I still didn't understand what he saw in my plain and unimpressive features. Granted, I didn't exactly care what he saw. He obviously saw something, and regardless what that something was… I was happy with it.

I took one last deep breath and headed back to class.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*`~~*~~~*~~~*

"So, did you hear?" Alice asked conversationally as we sat in the living room watching the end credits of the Gilmore Girls episode.

"Hear what?" Edward asked.

"Tanya's having another I'm-the-richest-and-most-popular-girl-in-Forks-bow-down-and-worship-me party this weekend," she said without much enthusiasm.

"Oh," he said, mirroring her interest.

"She invited me and told me to tell you to come, too," she continued, inspecting her fingernails.

Edward laughed out loud and Alice smiled as if she had anticipated that response.

"Did you tell her to shove it?"

"No, I told her I would mention it and if you agreed we would address our RSVP's to the stick up her ass."

"Ten points to Alice," Edward grinned, leaning forward and extending his hand which she slapped happily.

"She was a little pissed," Alice fake winced, "So I'm pretty sure we won't be getting invites to anymore parties…" she made a face.

"Bummer," Edward snapped his fingers and swung his arm in front of his body in a sarcastic gesture.

"Am I the only one that's sad about this?" Jasper piped up.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"She always had really good booze there," he said jokingly, holding his hands up.

Edward and Alice rolled their eyes, I laughed.

"At least _she _thinks I'm funny," he gestured toward me with a wag of his head as he folded his arms in front of his chest in a pretend pout.

"Okay, I've got bad news," Esme announced, walking into the room with her arms up in a 'don't-shoot-the-messenger' stance.

"Dad has to work a double shift tonight, so we're going to save the fajita night for another day. You know I can't make his favorite meal without him."

"Awe, man," Alice said sarcastically.

"So tonight…" Esme grimaced, "is pizza night."

We were all silent as we stared at her until Jasper finally broke in.

"And that's bad news?"

Esme winked and continued. "Who's ordering?"

"Me!" both Edward and Alice shouted at the same time.

"No, you got to order last time! I hate bacon on my pizza!" Alice argued.

"Mushrooms are worse than bacon!" Edward argued.

"No, they're-""I have an idea!" Esme cut in loudly. "How about we let Bella decide."

They all turned to look at me.

"Whoa, don't put this responsibility on me. I'm not picky. I'll eat anything but anchovies."

The room was silent for another second or two before Alice and Edward both erupted and jumped right back into their argument.

"You always get to order, Alice. You never remember to ask for half-"

"I do so! It's my turn to order!"

"Not if I get there first," Edward challenged.

They sat glaring at each other for several seconds more before they both moved at once, pushing and shoving each other as they dashed for the kitchen and, I assumed, the telephone. Jasper, Esme and I remained in the living room listening to the scuffles and shouts of protest in the other room.

"Don't break anything!" Esme called out. "Or anyone…" she finished as she took a seat next to me.

"Ow, that's not fair - you cheat!" Alice cried.

"Hey! You're just too slow, OW!" Edward voice echoed from the kitchen.

"Not the hair!"

"Gimme the damn phone! I'll hang you on the coat rack again"

"Don't you dare!"

The three of us listened for a while and began laughing hysterically. I really did enjoy Alice and Edward's brother-sister dynamic. They made for really good entertainment sometimes. Even if they were arguing about something as silly as pizza toppings.

"He hasn't been this much fun in a while," Esme sighed.

"I've noticed that, too," Jasper nodded.

"What?" I frowned.

"They used to fight and argue like this all the time," Esme waved her hand in the direction of the kitchen. "For a long time now Edward has been just giving in to her. It's not nearly as fun," she smiled.

"And Alice gets a bit hard to handle when she's used to constantly getting her way," Jasper added.

"Oh," I said uncertainly, looking down at my hands.

"It's because of you," Esme said suddenly.

"I doubt that," I shook my head.

"You wouldn't believe the differences, Bella," she smiled.

I didn't say anything.

"He jokes around with us. He cracks jokes. He smiles all the damn time," she chuckled. "Excuse my language," she added, putting her hand over her mouth deprecatingly. "When he plays the piano, it's not sad music anymore. It's beautiful music. The kind that he used to play years ago when he was younger."

"I'm sure that doesn't have anything to do with-"

"She's right," Jasper piped up. "I've been his best friend for years. I was his best friend before I started dating Alice. He used to be so happy… and I used to think it was my fault that he wasn't anymore. It seemed like right after Alice and I started dating he got really… weird. But now all of the sudden he's back to the old Edward. It's because of you."

"You've helped him so much," Esme agreed, smirking a little as Alice screeched "Pepperoni!" from the kitchen. "It's funny because… I didn't even realize that he was different until you… I mean, how do I explain this.. It's like we didn't even know he was broken until you fixed him. It was such a slow and gradual change. But as soon as you came along, it was like, BAM! There's old Edward. You helped him find himself again."

I was going to reply. I don't know what I was going to say, but I felt like I had to say something. Esme looked to be nearly in tears at this point. Before I could say anything, Alice and Edward returned. Alice sat down on the couch and folded her arms, jutting out her bottom lip in an exaggerated pout.

Edward sat down on the other side of me and rolled his eyes. "Oh please, I put mushrooms on half of it."

"You didn't order ranch dressing with the breadsticks," she argued.

"We've got ranch dressing in the refrigerator!" he groaned.

"Not the same," she said petulantly.

Esme rolled her eyes and stood up. "How long 'til it gets here?" she asked.

"Oh, I didn't get delivery. I figured Bella and I could go pick it up. Is that okay?" I thought he was asking Esme for her approval, but I realized after a moment that everyone was staring at me. "Oh, I… yeah, that's fine."

Edward and I listened to music the whole way to the pizza place, both lost in our own thoughts. Edward went in to get the pizza without me as Eric Yorkie's father owned the place and Eric often worked there. He was in charge of the school paper and "Edward Cullen and Bella Swan picking up pizza together" was _not_ one of the things we wanted to see on the front page.

Edward didn't turn the music back on when we started back to his house, though it took him a while to start up any conversation.

"You think we should get started on that project tonight?" he asked.

"Um," I said hesitantly, glancing at him.

"Um what?" he frowned.

"I thought that.." I trailed off. "We're allowed to have other people as our partners for that.."

"Right…" his frown deepened.

"Well… I thought you would want to..,"

"Partner with someone else?"

I started frowning then, "Yeah, maybe.."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Well I just thought… never mind."

"Bella, please tell me what you're thinking," he requested softly.

I shook my head and continued. "If we're partners even when we don't have to be, isn't that going to kind of… make people suspicious?"

"Oh," he scratched his head. "I guess I never thought of that.."

"I mean… I don't mind. I would like to be your partner… but,"

"But you don't want the attention," he finished for me.

"No, that's not… I don't even care about that anymore, really. It was a stupid idea."

He fell silent for several minutes then, not speaking again until we were almost back to his house.

"It wasn't a stupid idea if it made you feel more comfortable, Bella," he argued. "If you weren't comfortable with people staring, it wasn't a bad idea."

"It's such a pain in the ass to hide it though," I grumbled. "Maybe we should just get it over with. Quick like a bandaid."

He fell silent again, but something in his silence suggested that he may have been hurt by my statement.

"No, I didn't mean get it over with in that way… I just mean…well, sooner or later someone is going to find out. And then we'll be the talk of the school for… well who knows how long. Waiting is just making it worse.."

He still didn't speak.

"So I guess what I'm trying to say is yes, we should probably start the project tonight."

He chuckled once and gave me a furtive glance as he pulled the car into his driveway.

"Maybe doing the project together will be a subtle hint that we're still… together." I searched for the right words. "Maybe it'll make it less of a surprise when we are public."

"We don't have to be public until you want to be. You make that call," he promised.

"Okay," I nodded in agreement.

"Until then we'll just have to keep making out by the drinking fountains between classes," he winked.

"_That _was genius by the way."

"I have my moments," he grinned. "Was it just me or did the fact that we could have been caught at any moment make it that much better?"

"I totally agree," I nodded as he turned off the car and reached into the backseat for the pizza box.

I got out of the car and started to head for the house but he caught me with one hand and swung back around to face him, kissing me softly as he wound his fingers into mine.

As we walked into the house, I knew for sure that I no longer wanted to keep our relationship a secret. Every time I walked into a room holding his hand, I felt so complete. As long as he was by my side I could take whatever criticism my classmates could throw at me.

And I knew damn well that I would have to endure a lot of criticism.

EPOV

The weekend passed by far too quickly. Bella was spending most of her free time when she wasn't scheduled to work over at my house. I wasn't certain, but it seemed like she was getting much more time off than before and a part of me suspected that she had cut down her availability in order to spend more time with me. The moral part of me felt bad about that, but the selfish part of me was very happy with it.

We both dragged out the recycling project for much longer than we needed to. If we had sat down and focused on it, we probably could have finished it in a few hours. But it gave us additional reason to spend time together. Not like we needed an excuse to be with each other, but it seemed like Chief Swan was getting more and more agitated with the amount of time Bella was spending with me. He never told her that she couldn't, of course, but he seemed agitated and grumpy whenever she did. Because of this, our project ended up being about 10 times more elaborate than we had initially planned. The plan alone was almost a piece of art by the time we were finished with it on Sunday night. Normally I wouldn't have wanted that elaborate of a project to do, but I knew that we would never be able to finish that in class, so it would just give more reason for me to spend time with her without agitating her father further.

Monday and Tuesday we spent the entire class period working on our project and only managed to get about three quarters of the way finished with it. I'm sure it would have taken much longer if we weren't in a school environment. When we were making the outline over the weekend it had taken four times the amount of time it should have because we kept getting distracted by each other. We would fly off on random tangents and start talking about spontaneous topics and then eventually end up making out for long periods of time. It was amazing that we hadn't yet run out of things to talk about… or lost interest in kissing one another.

I noticed as I had said goodbye to her on Tuesday that her anxiety seemed to be growing and growing. I asked her about it and she denied my observations. It still seemed to me that she was nervous about something.

Wednesday morning as I passed her in the hallway, doing my best not to look like I was watching her, I noticed again that she looked pale and it suddenly clicked. Of course Bella would be nervous. We had to give a presentation in front of class today… with all those people staring at her.

Throughout the rest of the day I tried to come up with ways that I could make her feel better and less scared about the presentation. During lunch, I watched her sitting alone, looking mortified and staring at her untouched grilled cheese like it would come at her with a knife at any second. Without a second thought, I pulled out my cell phone and constructed a roughly worded text message.

_Don't worry about the presentation. I'll be right there with you. You'll be fine, Bella. I'll make sure of it._

I closed my phone after it had sent and watched her out of the corner of my eye like I always did. She jumped a little as the phone buzzed in her pocket. She glanced around the cafeteria, making sure there were no administrators nearby to catch her with her phone out before she opened it and read it. I saw a small smile creep over her face and quickly looked away. That was all I needed to see. Several seconds later my own phone buzzed and I opened it to read this single word: _thanks_.

"Edward."

I jumped, quickly stuffing my phone into my pocket fearing that the voice was that of someone who shouldn't have caught me with my phone out.

Regrettably it was the voice of something much worse.

"What?" I asked impatiently.

"You left something at my house Friday night." I winced a little as she said it. It seemed almost as if she was shouting.

"I wasn't at your house on Friday night," I replied, trying very hard to make my voice match the resentment I felt inside.

"Oh, whatever," she rolled her eyes as if she didn't believe me. "Well then, you forgot these at my house Friday night when you _weren't_ there." Tanya winked very exaggeratedly and produced a pair of blue and green striped boxers from her purse, dangling them from her pointer finger and holding them up so that the entire cafeteria could get a good look at them.

I realized then why she was being so loud.

I heard Alice take in a sharp breath on my left. I smiled and shook my head. "I wear briefs," I said indifferently.

"He wasn't at your house on Friday night," Alice said.

"How would you know?" Tanya snapped at her. "I'm sure you were far too busy being a slut to notice where your brother was."

Jasper stood up from the table quickly and I placed my hand out, warning him not to do anything stupid. Alice was seething with anger and the entire cafeteria was now completely silent, watching intently.

"You're going to call my sister a slut when you're trying to give me another man's underwear?" I frowned. "I'm one of the very few people in this school that you _haven't_ slept with, which would explain why you don't know what kind of underwear I wear. Next time you try to fling around false accusations, you should probably do a little bit of research. And don't you _dare_ call my sister a slut when your legs are open more than a twenty-four hour 7-11."

"Fuck you!" she snarled. "And take your damn underwear." She dropped them in my lap and turned to walk away.

"I wouldn't fuck you if you were the last woman on this earth," I said quietly enough so that only her and a few surrounding ears overheard.

She stopped in her tracks and turned around slowly.

"It's a little too late for that now, isn't it?"

"I wasn't at your house on Friday night," I shook my head.

"Then where were you?"

"At my own house."

"Prove it."

"I just told-" Alice interjected.

"You don't count. You're probably just lying to cover up for him." Tanya snarled. "Edward, you can't expect people to believe that you sat at home by yourself on a Friday night. I don't understand why it's such a big deal that we were together. It was a beautiful thing. You said so yourself," she shrugged.

Anger boiled up from within me and I slammed my hand against the table, causing her to jump in shock. I stood up and opened my mouth, ready to defend myself further even though it seemed like I was fighting a losing battle. The entire school bowed at Tanya's feet… mainly because she was very capable of making bad things happen to people who got on her bad side, which I had already experienced first hand… as had Bella.

"He wasn't alone."

Several choice words that included various farm animals and profanities fell unspoken from my mouth as the voice echoed around the noiseless cafeteria. Tanya frowned and looked around, searching for the voice that had dared take my side in this argument.

All heads turned in a slow and even motion until they were staring at the one table in the cafeteria that had only one person seated at it. Bella was staring down at the table, a look of fixed determination covering her face. Slowly she raised her eyes to meet Tanya's. She stood up and walked slowly toward my table, not even blinking.

"Pardon me?" Tanya said, a smirk covering her malicious features.

"I said," Bella started, taking another step toward Tanya until she was only a foot away from her. "he wasn't alone. He was with me."

"And why the fuck would he spend his Friday night with you when he didn't have to?"

"We were doing our Biology project," Bella said, narrowing her eyes.

"And why the fuck would he do his Biology project with you when he didn't have to?" Tanya sneered, leaning closer to Bella's face.

"For the same reason he didn't do his project with you when you practically begged him in class." I had never seen Bella so confident and so…pissed off before. Her hands were placed on her hips and she held a very strong stance that suggested she was not intending on backing down. I felt my jaw fall as I watched the two of them standing that close to each other. I half expected a cat fight to break out at any second.

"And what reason is that?" Tanya challenged.

"Because he is my boyfriend."

A gasp rippled throughout the cafeteria in a nearly comical way. Whispers rose and fell like waves on an ocean as Bella and Tanya stood in the center.

Tanya's face contorted. She looked like she was about ready to slap Bella and I was fully prepared to jump between the two of them if I had to. Instead, however, Tanya regained composure and let out one short, hateful laugh.

"And how on earth am I expected to believe that crock of bull?" Tanya spat, spite glistening in her eyes like embers. "Why would anyone waste their time on you?"

That was the final straw for me.

"A month and a half," I said, trying my hardest to keep myself calm for Bella's sake.

Both girls turned to look at me.

"We've been dating for a month and a half."

I had never seen anyone look as angry as Tanya did right then.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she shouted.

"First of all, I strongly suggest that you watch your tone," I started, taking a step toward her. "Second, Bella is two hundred times more worth my time than you ever were. I'm just sorry it took me so long to realize it."

"Well you two certainly don't seem to care very much about each other. You don't even sit with her at lunch," Tanya laughed spitefully.

I smiled at her and waited until she finished laughing to continue. "I brought her to a party at your house for our second date and you tried to sabotage us. You snuck into the bathroom while I was trying to take a piss and tried to take off my clothes. By not showing outward signs of affection, I saved her from your jealousy and whatever other ploys you could come up with to hurt her. But obviously she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself, so to hell with you." I held out my arm and Bella fell into my side like a puzzle piece. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pivoted toward the doors.

"And," I stopped, turning to face her one last time. "don't you ever call my sister a slut again, or I will post a list of every boy," I hesitated, raising an eyebrow at her. "and teacher you've ever slept with on every locker in this school. Including the door to the principal's office. Seeing as this is recycling week, I don't think it would be very fitting to waste several miles of rainforest just to prove how big of a slut _you_ are." I turned back around and pressed my lips to the side of Bella's head before starting back toward the doors.

We had almost made it out when I noticed James standing among the group of students near the door, open mouthed and in awe just like the rest of them. I had planned to make a show of shoving the boxers into the trash can as we exited, but this seemed too perfect an opportunity to pass up.

"Here," I said, shoving the boxers into his hands. "I believe these belong to you. You should have let her borrow a different pair of underwear. I recognize these from the party when you tried to force yourself into my girlfriend's pants."

His face fell and he looked nearly as angry as Tanya, but after the initial anger, he looked more embarrassed than anything. I turned around to give Tanya one more glance as well and found that she was looking surprisingly embarrassed as well.

I suddenly felt very accomplished and extremely proud of Bella. Of _my_ Bella.

The silence was louder than anything I could have imagined as we exited the cafeteria. Alice and Jasper were right behind us, closely followed by Rose and Emmett. I checked my watch and found that there was only one more minute before the bell rang, so we just stood outside the doors listening to the noise slowly pick back up within the cafeteria.

"Can I just say… Bella, you're a friggen bad ass!" Emmett raised his eyebrows approvingly. "That was _hot_!"

Everyone in the group slowly turned their heads toward Emmett and Rose, knowing full well the amount of jealousy Rosalie was capable of hosting.

"I agree," Rose nodded simply, not missing a beat.

We were all silent for several seconds before we all burst out laughing.

"But seriously, that was the most epic thing…you're my hero right now," Alice nodded.

"Edward did more than me," Bella said quietly.

"Yeah but no one expected him to just sit there and take it. I'm pretty sure, and no offense Ed, I'm pretty sure she would have verbally kicked your ass there if Bella hadn't stepped in," Jasper added. "Or… I'm pretty sure I would have _literally_ kicked _her_ ass for what she said about Alice."

I didn't say anything. I was barely even listening to them anymore. I was just staring at Bella. I was still astonished and …baffled.

She seemed to feel my stare and turned to return my gaze. I smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder with my arm. She smiled back just as the bell rang.

"Still nervous about that presentation?" I whispered in her ear.

"Nope," she whispered back. We headed for our lockers, hand in hand, for the first time inside the walls of that school. Students poured out of the cafeteria and just as we had suspected, stares and whispers were present wherever we went. But I was surprised. Instead of being surveyed with looks of contemplation and confusion, people were winking and patting us on the backs. People were smiling at us. People were smiling at _Bella_.

"This is weird," she raised an eyebrow as she met me back at my locker after retrieving her own books. "People are being nice to me."

I laughed and put my arm around her again as I slammed my locker.

"That's weird too," she wrinkled her nose. "That we can… do this. In school." She raised her shoulder and dropped it once, gesturing to my arm.

"I like it," I smiled.

"Me too," she nodded.

It was no surprise to me that in the 10 minutes since it had happened, the entire school seemed to know. Even the teachers. Mr. Banner seemed completely unsurprised as we walked into class like that. He looked up and gave us a knowing smile before going back to shuffling papers on his desk.

Tanya came in to class seconds before the bell rang and wouldn't even make eye contact with anyone in the room as she headed straight for her seat. She still looked extremely angry, which was to be expected.

We watched several people give their presentations and take their seats, grateful that no one seemed to have the same idea as we had. The whole time Bella and I had our hands fearlessly linked beneath the table. I rubbed comforting circles onto the back of her hand with the pad of my thumb until it came time for our presentation. Bella went to get the model as I organized my cue cards. We had decided that I would do the first part of the presentation where I explained the model and our ideas behind it and Bella would recite the essay portion of the presentation wherein she would explain the benefits of recycling and our standpoint on it. I kept telling her that it would be a piece of cake. All she had to do was read it off of the cue card and that was it.

I gave my part of the presentation quickly after the students awed over our complex model and then turned to Bella for her portion of the presentation. She did perfectly. She recited every word without a problem, and she didn't seem at all nervous.

"In conclusion," she said, putting the cue cards away and deviating from the script, "I think if people became more aware of what was going on around them instead of being wrapped up in their own little world of perfection and petty superficialities they might be able to appreciate what they have instead of taking everything for granted and throwing it away so carelessly. After it's gone, they'll realize the opportunities they missed out on and pretend that it doesn't matter just to save face. People like that don't deserve to have nice things."

She was staring directly at Tanya as she said it and every word came out thick with double meaning. A double meaning that every student in the room, and maybe even the teacher, caught.

Tanya glowered at her with hatred emanating from her every pore as Bella smiled and finished the presentation with a shrug of her shoulders, leading me back to our seats.

For the second time in one day, I was baffled.

It was in that moment that I believe I fell in love with Isabella Swan.

* * *

I don't know why that chapter was so ridiculously fun to write... no, wait.. that's a lie. It's kind of obvious why that chapter was so fun to write.

ANYHOW

If y'all have stuck with this story so far, you're amazing. I know there has been some unwanted breaks between updates, and for that I apologize. I've been searching for a new puppy to add to the family and making plans for a trip to Florida to see Wicked and putting a lot of time into doing my best at the new job etc. etc. etc.

Hopefully I'll get a regular schedule soon that involves more frequent updates.

Shoutouts. My loverly betas Kaitlyn and Stephanie. TASHA, because I love her. Ali, too. I love me some Ali. Trendaholic on LJ because I just responded to a review and it's fresh in my mind. Empire Clover, whose having a rough day today. Bexi, Jennlynnfs, Hammondgirl, because they're all fabulous authors of their own stories who still find time to read mine. I'm probably missing people.. but whatever. I appreciate the hell out of all of you. THIS IS SOME LEGIT LOVE RIGHT HERE, OKAY?

Nothing is better than opening up an inbox of reviews, so click that button! :)


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